On Dating a Demon
by o-dragon
Summary: Ashley Wright met Hiei while working abroad. In the beginning their relationship was only meant to prank Kuwabara, but soon Ashley is threatened by forces that want to destroy Hiei. As tensions between humans and demons grow, heralding a war encompassing all three worlds, so too does their relationship. HieixOC
1. Roses are Red

**\- Part I -**

 **On Dating a Demon**

* * *

Chapter One

 _Roses are Red_

Tokyo was in every way different from London as one might expect: different language, different culture, loud, bright advertisements around every corner, and seemingly more people packed together on a similarly small island in the middle of a sea.

Even though she was from another large city on a rather small island, Ashley Wright found herself increasingly overwhelmed. Even though she had studied the language and culture for years, two minutes off the plane and she was left babbling like a schoolgirl lost for words. Being here, in Japan, was her next big adventure. It was the one she had longed for for years, even before graduation. But now, being here in the thick of everything, hesitation and wariness clawed at her nerves, fraying them until she was left an anxious mess.

Was Dad right? Had she truly made a mistake? This "mistake," if it indeed was one, would cost her a year minimum, if that was really what it was. Not only that, but she was traveling abroad in the middle of the "demon crisis" as world leaders called it, and she had arrived in the place where most of the demons who had appeared seemed to originate from.

Mistake or no mistake, danger or no danger, she couldn't think of that at this moment. Her luggage would be arriving for pickup soon and she had to keep moving. Pulling herself together she set off through the terminal trying to read the directional signs and figure out exactly where she needed to go, eventually finding herself at the luggage pick up.

 _Gaijin._ The word screamed in her mind. Outsider. She'd been prepared for the outright staring that was common for non-Japanese people to receive. It was obvious she wasn't Japanese, from her typically British accent, slight upturned nose, and honey blonde hair which made her stick out like a sore thumb. What greeted her, however, was not the open stares of a people obviously noting she wasn't like them, but rather, she was completely ignored. Of course, in this airport, Tokyo's international airport, she was just a face. Another person traveling through this hub and blending in with the diverse faces of the crowd.

Thankfully, the wait for her luggage was a short one. One suitcase, and one pet crate. Knox whined as she lugged him off the conveyor belt. "Hello, there, love," Ashley greeted her friend, a parting gift from her brother, Oliver, who insisted she take a piece of "their culture" over to Japan as a joke. Oliver had always loved Queen Elizabeth's many corgis, and had given Ashley the round tuft of fluff as a parting gift. But of course, she couldn't turn down the puppy, and so he also got onto the international flight with her.

Making her way through the airport, she finally passed the exit gates, immediately scanning the crowd for the young woman that Mushiyori University said they would send to pick her up. _Kuwabara Yukina_. Ashley repeated it in her head like a broken record. Knowing her history with forgetting names as quickly as she learned them, this was one introduction she couldn't mess up. Yukina, whomever she was, would be Ashley's link here in Japan, and the person who would be showing her around.

"Don't be weird, Don't be weird," Ashley muttered to herself under her breath. Of course, it dawned on her at the same moment that her eyes landed on the slight woman who matched her photo perfectly, that she was talking to herself, and that wasn't considered _normal_ at all.

"Ashuree Wrighto?" Yukina called out in her own accent, saying Ashley's name in the order that the young woman was used to, raising a hand in greeting to get Ashley's attention. Not that it was necessary. As soon as they made eye contact from across the greeting area, Ashley made a beeline for her.

"Hi," Ashley greeted the young woman with a bow. She looked about as old as Ashley herself: early-twenties, or possibly a little older. Yukina's skin was flawless, and held a glow of youth that was hard to nail down an exact age for her. Mint hair was pulled back away from her face, and, Ashley noticed with a drop of her stomach: scarlet eyes. Could her guide really be a _demon_? Ashley panicked at the thought, butterflies twisting her stomach, but forced her smile to remain. Remembering what the forums had said that she had read in earnest during her preparation for the job, she reminded herself not to assume. Yukina could even be an avid cosplayer with hair and eyes like hers. Perhaps it was just a wig and contacts that she wore.

Even if she was a demon, which Ashley didn't know for certain, Yukina matched her photo that the University had provided perfectly. Yes, Ashley believed this was the person who would be guiding her for the next few weeks as she made her new home in Sarayashiki. She didn't even need to confirm, except for formality. "Kuwabara Yukina?" Ashley asked with a raised brow.

Yukina's eyes, scarlet though they were, crinkled in a smile as she bowed, hands clasped in front of her. "Yukina is fine," she said as Ashley inwardly cringed. _Please don't let her be as proper as everything I_ just _left_. She sent up a silent prayer to whomever was listening. This was her chance to get away from all the upper-class expectations that life had laid out for her back home. "Can I help you with anything?" Yukina offered, noticing the suitcase and crate that Ashley carried.

"Oh, no," she replied, gripping Knox's handle more tightly. "I can manage. Where are you parked?"

Ashley followed Yukina through the throngs of people all trying to find their parties to a car waiting just outside the doors. A young man hurried out, running around the side of his car to help her get her suitcase into the trunk. His hair was a wild orange, and styled in a very American way. It almost reminded her of John Travolta's character in Grease. "Let me get that!" He exclaimed as Ashley handed it off to him and got into the car with Yukina, taking Knox with her.

He was back in the driver's seat in a hurry and pulling away from the curb.

"Ashley," Yukina said through her accent, motioning towards the young man in the driver's seat. "This is Kuwabara Kazuma." Ashley, noticing their differences in appearance, immediately put together that this man was not her brother. While Yukina was a delicate person, Kazuma was… sturdy. Broad shoulders, strong jawline, and he looked like he could easily bench this car.

"Nice to meet you, Kazuma," Ashley said, catching his eye in the rear view mirror, and dipping her head in a bow. He nodded to her in greeting before his eyes darted back to traffic.

"Kuwabara's fine," Mr. Orange said, waving her off. His voice was deep, almost gravelly. "Everyone calls me by it."

"I can do that," she replied, clutching Knox's crate as they swiftly rounded a corner. He wasn't the worst driver; that award would likely go to her sister, Sophia, as she was always terrified of driving in London and was rash as well. "One of my friends back home only goes by his family name as well. Even his wife calls him 'Perry'."

He grinned broadly. "Is this your first time in Japan?"

Ashley nodded, then realized that Kuwabara couldn't see the action with his eyes on the road. "It is," she spoke up, trying not to focus on the streets or his driving too hard. It'd be embarrassing if she were to squeak or otherwise react to his erratic driving. _Thank goodness I'll be taking the rail cars._ Trying to distract herself, she said, "I nearly came over for high school. Dad wanted me to go to a school over in Bunkyo several years ago, but I convinced him to let me stay in London."

"What was the name of the school?" Yukina asked, turning around in her seat to better look at the other girl.

Ashley had to pause to think for a moment. "Ouran? I think? It's been years." She finally said, waving it off. She didn't explain that the only reason Dad didn't force her to go was because she promised him she'd go to the university of his choosing and get a degree. So, four and a half years later, she'd graduated with a hard-won degree from Cambridge, his alma mater.

The drive took nearly an hour and a half, but by the afternoon, they had made it to Sarayashiki, Kuwabara and Yukina talking about dinner plans they had made for that night with some friends.

"You should come!" Yukina told Ashley, twisting around in her seat to face the girl again.

Caught by surprise, Ashley could only gape in the suddenness of the request, trying to find the words to respectfully decline, however Yukina beat her. "They're all our friends. We're all so busy these days that we try to get together when we can, usually once every month or so."

"Then I really shouldn't intrude," Ashley finally found her words, but Kuwabara cut her off.

"You're not intruding if we're asking you to join us," he said. "Come on, you're new here. We can show you the neighborhood and if you come you'll know a few more people besides just us."

Yukina seemed to remember that she was being overly excited with her proposition. "You don't have to come if you don't want to, but you're welcome to."

Ashley turned the offer over in her head. "Can I let you know?" she finally said. "The University gave me your number; I can text you."

Yukina nodded, pleased that Ashley wasn't going to shoot down her offer at the first pass. "Just let us know, and we can stop by to get you." Ashley returned her smile hesitantly.

It wasn't long before Kuwabara was turning into a parking garage for one of only a handful of high rises in the city. He helped her unload her suitcase and they walked with Ashley up to her new flat.

It was like an efficiency, thankfully. The kitchen was more like a kitchenette. It was made up of a small refrigerator, a two-burner stove, and a microwave above the sink. The bathroom was across from that, and through a sliding door was a kontatsu that sat before a small television. Her futon pushed up against the opposite wall. A small closet faced the futon, across the room from a small balcony that barely overlooked the city from the third floor.

 _Mine_ , Ashley thought to herself, excitement flushing through her veins. It was University-given, of course, and the bare minimums, but so much simpler than the opulent wealth that she'd been surrounded by since childhood.

Kuwabara and Yukina stuck around for a few minutes more, enough time for Ashley to let Knox out to explore and say hi, and then they left, leaving Ashley and Knox to their new flat.

"Well, then," she said aloud, hands on her hips, taking in everything.

Twenty hours ago she was boarding her flight to Tokyo, saying goodbye to her parents and Oliver, and rushing around in the light drizzle that had formed and parked itself over London, as light drizzles usually did. She'd had a toothbrush and paste in her purse on the flight, allowing her to brush her teeth, but she still wore the navy slacks and light pink blouse she'd put on nearly twenty four hours ago. Even though she felt disgusting, the first order of business was to clean out Knox's travel crate of the pee-pad she'd put in, and then take him outside to properly relieve himself. As soon as they were back inside the flat, however, Ashley was stripping off her clothes and stepping into the shower, letting the warm water wash over the tight knots that had formed in her shoulders during the seventeen and a half hour flight.

Feeling refreshed, and with a towel wrapped around her hair to get the extra water out, she set about working to unpack and find a place for everything she'd brought. The usual must-have items: leisure clothes, work clothes, shoes, toiletries, then the items she didn't have the heart to leave behind: her favorite, "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster that she hung above her futon, and several of her favorite classics. Dickens, Dickinson, Shakespeare, London, Woolf, Faulkner, Thoreau, Twain, Austen, Rowling, of course, a bound edition containing the complete works of the Bronte sisters, and even Atwood.

The books were the sole reason her suitcase was so heavy to begin with, but that wasn't something she wanted to acknowledge.

Shelves were built into the wall between the futon and the closet, and as she started shelving the books, she spoke aloud, the words tumbling out, "Do you think I'm making a mistake, Knox?"

The corgi in question cocked his head, tongue lolling. "I mean, I haven't told you this yet, but I never wanted to help Dad with the company, and coming here has been something I've wanted for years. It's the whole reason I convinced Dad to let me study Japanese instead of Mandarin in the first place.

"I mean, I've wanted this for so long, I don't know. Did I really make a mistake? Am I even qualified to teach English?

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Knox," she said. "Yes, I'm qualified, but do I really know the language and culture as well as I think I do? I mean, I don't want to offend anyone with a mishap, or saying the wrong thing-" Her attention caught on the photo that fluttered out of the copy of Romeo and Juliet in her hand. Stooping to pick it up, she turned it over to be met with Isla's grinning face on the other side.

A smile crept over Ashley's face as she straightened, photo in hand. Isla was her best friend, having met during freshman year at Cambridge. She was there to study Chemistry, and they'd had their A Level Mathematics class together. Professor Arden had insisted on assigned seats, and Isla had happened to be sitting to Ashley's left when Arden had announced that the seat they'd chosen when they sat down that first day would be their seat for the rest of the year.

Isla and Ashley had become study buddies immediately, and had learned that they had quite a bit in common: both of their families ran influential companies. It was a wonder they hadn't met previously, especially since their families were both part of the same upper-class social circle. But it was a fast friendship: Ashley kept Isla on her toes, and Isla kept Ashley grounded when she started freaking out about her grades.

Isla grinned at Ashley through the photo, camera reflecting in her American-style aviators, black hair braided down her left shoulder, and capturing some of the London ferris wheel in the background.

At Cambridge, Ashley had decided to study physics, which she hated and was horrible at. Class after class she failed, until she realized that her parents wouldn't be backing down from their promise to pay for her entire education, no matter how long it took or how expensive it turned out to be. It was Isla who'd given her the advice to make the best of the situation, knowing her friend wouldn't be backing out of the degree any time soon. No, Ashley's pride was too great for that.

"What's that thing that Shakespeare wrote? Something about roses and names?" Isla had asked, sitting next to Ashley on the steps of the physics building, nursing a coffee while Ashley drank her usual mint tea.

Ashley had chuckled, knowing the quote immediately. Isla wasn't one for literature at all, but the fact that she was trying to relate this entire situation to literature for Ashley's sake was kind.

"What's in a name?" Ashley had begun, quoting the words dramatically for effect. "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Isla perked up immediately, "Yeah, that one! Anyway, my literature teacher told us that it doesn't matter what you call the thing you're trying to describe. It's still that thing, you know? Like, a rose is still a rose, even if you call it a…" she searched for a gibberish name, "A _walkazoo_. It's still going to be a flower with petals that open outward and smells pretty, right? It doesn't matter what you actually call the thing. Am I making sense?"

Ashley had nodded and sighed, knowing her friend was right. After a beat, she said, "You know I hate roses, right?"

Isla had pushed her in mock-frustration.

After that, after trying to follow Isla's advice of trying to make the best of her degree, Ashley had realized she actually enjoyed physics, especially quantum physics. She was still horrible at it, but after putting forth the effort, all the effort she had, she'd earned the damned degree, even if all the classes barely had a C in them.

And now she'd wormed herself into another situation where she needed to follow Isla's advice. _Make the best of it. Call it anything you want._ Whether a mistake or an opportunity, she was still here, after years of wanting to be here, and she was going to enjoy herself _._

Digging her phone out of her pocket, she found Yukina's number already plugged into her phone. Thank goodness for foresight.

- _Count me in.-_

* * *

The ramen shop was quaint and easy to miss. If Ashley hadn't been with Yukina and Kuwabara she would have passed it by and subsequently gotten lost.

The only sign out front identified the shop as "Yukimura Ramen," but otherwise the storefront was unidentifyable. A hole-in-the-wall kind of place with a simple wooden exterior.

The food, however, was heavenly.

The restaurant, Ashley learned, was run by Keiko's parents. Keiko who was Yukina's friend, Kuwabara's old school mate, and Yusuke's girlfriend. But also old school-mate and overall childhood friend. Kuwabara and Yusuke had taken up some sort of job together and had met Yukina, Hiei, and Minamino through it - Minamino who's always late because he works in the city. They didn't get into details and Ashley didn't ask. Just trying to keep everyone straight and whose names belonged to whom was difficult enough without trying to figure out the details that went with the friendship trees.

Yusuke, who was working to help prepare food, had been the one who'd had the hardest time pronouncing her name. "A-Ash-ree."

"Ashley."

Keiko tried to give it to him in her accent, "Ashuree."

His brows furrowed. "A-shu-"

"Ashley," Ashley tried again. She could see his brain trying to compute how she pronounced her name with his language. Two consonants never went together in Japanese. It was always a consonant and vowel pairing.

"Ashu-"

"You want to just call me Ash?" Ashley finally suggested, feeling for the poor guy. She and Keiko been trying to show Yusuke how to pronounce her name for the better part of five minutes and he was no closer to getting it now than when he started. Hiei, lounging on a barstool with one foot resting on the barstool next to him, never said a word, but Ashley was sure he was listening to this exchange, too. "That might be easier."

He grinned widely, eyes crinkling in his smile. "You got it!" More seriously, he said, "Thanks. I've never been much of a student."

The group naturally divided itself with Kuwabara shoving Hiei's foot off the barstool he wanted to sit in, and Yukina heading over to the table that Keiko had been sitting at before they'd arrived with Ashley in tow. Ashley didn't need to be trying to show someone how to pronounce her name to feel every pair of eyes on her. Back at the airport, she hadn't felt it, but here in this small-town restaurant where tourists rarely frequented, _Gaijin_ hung over her like a cloud. She was very aware of the mutters and staring she received from the other patrons when they walked in, and the feeling only multiplied as she had given Yusuke a lesson in the pronunciation of her very English name. She tried to push the feeling of self-consciousness to the back of her mind as she sat down at the table with Keiko and Yukina. Tonight was about having fun with new friends.

Keiko had left the table when they walked in, leaving the book she'd been reading open. Now, as they sat, she bookmarked her page and slipped the novel into her purse. "What were you reading?" Ashley asked, curious if she might know the title.

"It's called _A Grim Love_ ," Keiko admitted. No, Ashley didn't recognize the title. "One of my friends lent it to me to read. She was dying to talk to someone about it, but I don't really see what the big deal is. It's just vampires and zombies." The young woman lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "Nothing I haven't read before, you know?"

Ashley nodded and made a mental note that Keiko liked books as Yukina asked, "How have the children been?"

Children. Plural. Ashley stared at Keiko. Surely the girl in front of her was her age. Early or mid twenties. If she started young, she could have children, plural, Ashley assumed, but the thought of children at her age, barely twenty three, made her stomach churn.

Keiko, however, smiled. "Class starts tomorrow, so we'll see. I haven't met any of them yet, but I'm supposed to have nineteen."

"Teacher?" Ashley asked, and Keiko nodded. Relief flooded Ashley, relief she didn't realize she needed.

"I'm first grade, so they're still really good at that age." Keiko grinned then, seeing an opportunity. "At least most of them are good. I'd hate to have been Yusuke's teacher in the first grade!" She yelled over the boys' chatter so that Yusuke could hear.

Whatever Kuwabara had been saying was immediately cut off when her words reached Yusuke and he yelled back, "Oh you know I'm nothing but well-behaved!" The boy cackled like a demon as Keiko rolled her eyes. Yusuke carried himself with a staggering confidence, even while working.

Seeing them all together, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei, Ashley couldn't help but notice exactly how _fit_ they were. From Hiei's lean muscle, to Kuwabara's sturdy build, to Yusuke's biceps straining against the black t-shirt he wore under his apron, Ashley immediately felt intimidated. She'd picked up running at university to ease the stress of her studies, and had refined her figure over those years, she thought, but just being in the same room as these men carved from stone, she felt more out of shape than she had in her entire life.

Ashley forced herself to turn away from them and focus on what Yukina was asking Keiko - something about a date.

"It was just the normal thing, you know?" Keiko said, her hands wrapped around her water glass. "Dinner and a movie at home. Nothing very spectacular."

"What if you did something different?" Ashley spoke up, but when Keiko turned to her without an idea in mind for what might be different for them, Ashley floundered. Why had she suggested that? She didn't even know what was around here to do to begin with, and she certainly didn't know Keiko or Yusuke.

"You may already know this," Yukina began, an excited light in her eyes. "But there's a new light exhibit at the university. It doesn't cost a lot. Maybe you could go there?"

Keiko turned an eye towards Yusuke, who was joking with Kuwabara about something. Keiko plopped her chin in her hand. "It would be better than what we have been doing," she mused.

"How long have you been dating?" Ashley asked, curiosity piquing. The brunette had mentioned previously that they'd known each other since they were children, the same age that Keiko was about to teach. Nearly twenty years having known each other. Just incredible, Ashley pondered. Knowing someone nearly your entire life like that was nearly impossible to imagine.

Keiko glanced to Yukina, eyebrows furrowed. "What's it been, now? Eight-?"

"Eight years, I think," Yukina softly replied.

"We were eighteen, at least." Keiko said, replying with a concrete number. "We're engaged, technically, but haven't set a date. Trying to save and all that."

"Kur-" Ashley glanced up quickly; Kuwabara sounded like he was choking on something before he called out, "Minamino!" He raised his beer to greet the young man who slipped quietly through the entrance. Ashley turned in her chair to catch a glimpse of the man approaching the bar. Just the same as the other three, Minamino was more than a little on the muscular side. How on earth did these young men maintain such incredible physiques, Ashley wondered. Perhaps there was something in the water. She eyed Keiko's glass of water, the condensation having made a small puddle on the tabletop.

"Ah, it seems we have a guest tonight," Minamino commented, catching Ashley's eye.

Upon first glance, Ashley's excitement grew as did a sense of camaraderie. Here was another non-native Japanese person! There was no way to describe his hair color except to say it was a deep red. It was similar in color to the gemstones that Mum's twenty fifth wedding anniversary necklace held. _Red beryl_ , Ashley could swore it was called; her mum's favorite. But, as Minamino approached their table, it became obvious that he was, in fact, Japanese. He just had a peculiar hair color. Surely not natural, but Ashley still found herself sneaking a glance toward the crown of his head when he was not looking to try to see if dyed roots were showing.

Sharp emerald irises met her own gray, and a gentle smile tugged at his lips. "Minamino Shuichi," he said, bowing to her.

"Wright Ashley," She greeted in return, standing and returning the bow.

"Same as last time, buddy?" Yusuke asked as he handed him a beer of the same kind as Kuwabara.

"Are you seeing anyone, Ashley?" Keiko asked as Ashley turned back toward the ladies at the table.

Ashley shook her head, the memory bittersweet. "Not since university, honestly," She said, remembering how Emmett, her boyfriend of a year and a half, had sat her down one night and told her that he was gay. For how hard that conversation had been for her, she could only imagine it was infinitely worse for Emmett. She couldn't imagine the pure fear that he had gone through that she wouldn't accept him and wouldn't want to stay friends once he told her. That fear had turned to relief after they spoke. Even now, two years later, he was still a dear friend. "Plus, I was so focused on my grades I didn't even try." After she and Emmett had ended as a couple, she didn't want to try dating again, especially with her grades struggling. "But, you're with Kuwabara," Ashley said to Yukina, "And you're with Yusuke," she caught Keiko's gaze. "What about Hiei and Minamino?"

"Oh," Keiko said with a laugh, mirth lighting her eyes, an inside joke hidden in their depths. "Hiei doesn't _have_ a love life."

Said person turned in his seat to face the girls. "What did you just say?" The words more closely resembled a growl, with his voice at such a low resonance. They were possibly the first words Ashley had heard him speak all night.

"Just telling Ashley how you don't have anyone special in your life." Keiko said, prodding him with her words. He glared at Keiko for a long moment, something unspoken passing between them, and Ashley used that moment to take in Hiei for the first time.

With a strong jawline, sharp crimson eyes, and messy raven hair, Hiei wasn't unattractive, Ashley found herself noticing. He lounged on his barstool as if it was territory that he'd claimed for himself, but back slightly hunched, as if he was on defense. Eyes sharp as a blade flicked to Ashley as he felt her stare on him, but she held his gaze even as her stomach threatened to drop. Like Yukina, Hiei had eyes of a red shade, and held himself in a way that didn't remind her of any human she'd ever met. Possible demon, but also not her business.

"Alright!" Yusuke crowed, a delighted grin breaking across his face, and forcing Ashley and Hiei to end their staring contest. "Who's ready for food?"

Once all the bowls were down, and the boys had come to the table to sit, Yusuke launched into what had happened with a customer who'd come in demanding a half-priced bowl. The table fell into relaxed conversation, and even though Ashley didn't know half of the places they named or who the people were who filled their stories, she found herself enjoying the evening, and glad she'd decided to come.

Too soon, the night came to a close as Kuwabara had to get home to sleep for work the next day, as did Ashley, Minamino had to get back to the city, and Yusuke had to close up the shop. Hiei was the first to depart, however, after everyone had risen from their seats and were finishing their conversations outside in the brisk night air. Even with it being April, the last chills of winter hung in the breeze.

As Hiei left the group, walking out into the night, hands shoved deep into his pockets, Yukina noticed Ashley's attention on him. Upon asking what she was thinking, Ashley whispered into Yukina's ear, "He's _so_ handsome!"

Ashley, however, had no idea that her whisper was loud enough to catch the attention of Kuwabara, who stood directly behind Yukina. It was with this off-hand comment that an idea formed in Kuwabara's mind.

 _ **\- End of Chapter One -**_

* * *

 **Please review and leave some love if you enjoyed it!**

 **Thank you, Star Charter, for the very helpful pointers and for calming my nerves. (Go check out her work if you're not familiar with it!)**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	2. A Less-Than Masterful Plan

Chapter Two

 _A Less-Than Masterful Plan_

"So, I have an idea," the words burst from Kuwabara's mouth as soon as he and Yukina shut the door to their small home.

Yukina, used to Kazuma's somewhat random outbursts, merely lifted a delicate brow, hand still moving to lock the deadbolt behind them.

"I want to set Ashley up with Hiei." The words filled the room as silence descended. Eichiki was the first to move from her place by the window, to wind and wrap herself up against Kazuma's legs. When Yukina didn't say anything, he continued, if only to fill the silence that lingered. "I mean, you heard her! She thinks he's _'handsome'_!" He said the word like he didn't quite know how to handle it.

"That doesn't necessarily mean they'd make a good couple." Yukina moved away from the door, Eichiki slinking up and meowing at her feet. Yukina bent to pick up the cat while she continued, "Besides, Keiko tried setting him up years ago, don't you remember? And that didn't turn out quite as we anticipated."

Kazuma rolled his eyes, ever the drama-king, as he followed Yukina back to their bedroom. "That doesn't count! Hiei shot that down before Keiko even had a chance at executing it."

"Which is why," Yukina cut in, "this won't work either. Hiei would see it from miles away." Eichiki jumped from her arms as she moved to the dresser and began undressing for the night. Even though they'd been married for nearly two years, a blush crept into Kazuma's cheeks, and he looked away, giving Yukina her privacy. It was a sweet act, one that Yukina never took for granted but always made her heart swell for this man every time he did it.

"You're right," Kazuma continued, seemingly talking to the futon in the corner. "Unless we don't make it super obvious, you know? He's in town this week anyway helping Genkai out. Ashley is new to Sarayashiki. We could have them both over… get them talking… maybe have some alcohol around to loosen Hiei up-"

"Kazuma!"

He didn't flinch. "Well, you've got to admit, Hiei's about as talkative as a rock if he isn't insulting anyone."

Yukina paused, eyes sliding down to the floor in thought. "You do have a point." She finally admitted, guiltily.

She finished dressing in her pajamas, a simple old t-shirt of Kazuma's that she'd stolen back when they were dating. Kazuma turned back to face her, hands clasped in front of his face in a begging sort of way. "Please?"

Her scarlet eyes slid over his jutted bottom lip and wide puppy-dog eyes. Nearly twenty six years old and he could still sway her mind with that look when he wanted.

Yukina took a deep breath, preparing herself for Kazuma's excitement. "Okay, we'll try it." Sure enough, Kazuma nearly lost his mind in excitement. "But don't be disappointed if this doesn't work," she pointed a finger in his face in mock-threat, even though he towered over her. Kazuma knew it was a well-intended mock-threat. If she wanted to, Yukina could be truly terrifying. He'd only seen that side of her a handful of times since he met her, and it wasn't something he ever wanted to see.

Kazuma bent and placed a careful kiss on the tip of her finger. "And if Hiei asks, this was your idea," She finished with a loving smile toward him.

* * *

It wasn't like Ashley to be late for anything. She was never late to class, never late to piano lessons, or appointments, or wishing her friends a Happy Birthday. Being on time came almost naturally as she always got up on the first ring of her alarm clock: right at seven. Her planner was filled out down to the last minute detail. All of Ashley's ducks were always in a perfect row, as the saying went.

On Monday, April 13th, her first day at Mushiyori University, that was not the case.

Rushing around her flat, trying to get ready for work, she nearly forgot to walk Knox, only remembering from his incessant whining. Within thirty minutes of her alarm going off for the fifth time, Ashley was racing out the door, frantically jogging down to the station to catch the train that would take her over to the city.

Fumbling with her wallet, she paid for her train ticket, barely pausing to stop for pleasantries, and jumped onto the correct rail car a mere two seconds before the doors hissed shut behind her.

She paused a moment to catch her breath as the train lurched into motion, nearly sending her flying before she grabbed hold of the rail above her head. Using the rail to keep her steady, Ashley walked down the train to find two seats vacant.

Taking advantage of the first moment of quiet she'd had all morning, she stripped her backpack from her shoulders as well as her now barely useful jacket and plopped onto the pleather seats. She'd jogged hard enough that she was beginning to sweat through her clothes. At this rate she wouldn't need a jacket at all today.

Immediately, she could feel nearly every pair of eyes latched onto her. As she met the eyes of every person around her, she noticed a young boy pulling on his mother's sleeve, trying to get her attention to divide from her phone. "Oka-san! Oka-san! Gaijin!" He whispered excitedly in Japanese, like she was a prize he found.

Great. Now, not only was she the only non-Japanese person on the train, she noted, but she was also the last one to board, too, with quite the display of tardiness.

Heaving a sigh, Ashley dug her ear buds from the depths of her backpack and placed them in her ears as she tried to ignore her embarrassment. Even though she willed the obvious blush and accompanying heat in her cheeks to disappear, it persisted and remained.

The train let her off just a few blocks from the edge of the university, and then it was just a short walk to the foreign languages building. The email she had received welcoming her as a teacher at Mushiyori University contained information on where to report on her first day as well as instructions to ask for the dean of the foreign languages department.

Cambridge had spoiled her with architecture that was centuries old and had passion poured into every inch of the walls. The foreign languages building, however, wasn't anything spectacular. Passion had not been poured into these walls. These walls were bare and created to possibly hold knowledge, but the unrelenting white felt more like the bare walls of a hospital.

"Can I help you?" A small voice came from Ashley's right. A young woman sat behind a computer at a counter; likely the welcome desk.

Ashley nodded, walking closer to the desk. With phone in her hand to read the name of the person she was supposed to meet, she said, "I'm here to meet Doctor Ikeda. I'm the new English teacher."

The woman nodded and picked up her phone, likely dialing an extension and spoke quickly into the receiver. Something along the lines of "your 9 o'clock is here."

It was only a few seconds later that Ikeda stepped out of his office and around the desk to greet Ashley, wearing one of the largest grins she had ever seen.

"Miss Ashley Wright," Doctor Ikeda greeted her, his English near perfect. Ashley wasn't sure which caught her more off-guard: his almost perfect English or the feeling of comfort and home that washed over her at hearing English for the first time in almost two days. She'd never thought she'd feel this relaxed just hearing her native tongue.

She was caught so off-guard that his too-friendly smile barely caught her attention. The way he smiled was almost disconcerting, sort of like she was a long lost friend. He was a lean man, possibly in his forties, with his thick black hair falling into his spectacled eyes. He stretched out his hand for her to shake. She took it, confidently, as her dad had taught her all those years ago. "Let me show you around."

They stopped by her classroom first. Room 217. It was simple: bare beige walls, a cork board on the wall closest to the door as well as a dry-erase board. A single wooden desk was at the front of the room with five columns of five student desks in front of her desk. It wasn't anything to write home about, and no windows to boot, but at least she wouldn't have to be writing with chalk, she thought gratefully.

The rest of the building was essentially the same. Bare walls. Simple. A few posters hung from a cork board near the entryway with different clubs and activities advertised from it. Ikeda didn't bother with showing her the rest of campus, but did give her a map when they got back to his office. From the map alone, the campus was sprawling.

"And this will be your schedule. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, your first class will be at 13:00, and 15:00. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00, 14:30, and 19:00." Just looking at that massive time break between her two thirty class and her seven o'clock class made her mind whirl. How on earth would she fill that time? "And here's your class roster with your list of students for each time block."

Ashley took the small file and flipped it open to skim the names. Not that she would recognize any of them, she knew, but just to get a sense for how many students would be in her class. She tried to convince herself, unsuccessfully, that she wasn't skimming just to see if she could find any demons in her class. No, she needed to treat all her students the same, regardless of specie.

However, her heart nearly stopped as her stomach dropped. Thankfully she hadn't stopped to grab any breakfast on her dizzying way out the door, otherwise that would be threatening to come up.

Three names were at the bottom of the seven o'clock class roster. Three names whose "Specie" was listed as other than human. _Demon_.

"Um," she started, taking a breath and pushing it out to calm her nerves. Ikeda glanced up. "Is this list correct?"

Doctor Ikeda merely smiled in his too-charming way. Ashley was sure he could charm a tree if he felt like it. "Of course it is; it was just printed last night. Is there a problem?"

He didn't lose his smile, but the last four words held an edge that Ashley wasn't sure was actually there or if she was just imagining things.

Steadying herself, she said, "I just noticed these three names at the bottom of the 19:00 class. Are they truly demons?"

She tried to keep the wavering concern out of her voice, but Ikeda must have picked up on it, because his smile dropped when he looked at her squarely. "Of course they are. I hope you don't have a problem with it," he turned back to his desk, leaning over something that lay open atop it. "All our students we treat with respect. Anyone who wants to learn and has the drive to do so is welcome to study here." At this, he glanced back up at Ashley, who hadn't moved. With unveiled threat, he quietly spoke, "I hope that won't be a problem for you."

"Not at all," Ashley spoke with a confidence she wasn't sure she had at that moment. It was confidence pulled from the political training she'd received while growing up. Training that her dad had insisted she have once the company became an international power house. She might not have been born in the affluence of high-society, but Wright United Technologies had certainly rocketed her into it, and just as Mum said, she needed to know how to play the game.

She was playing a damn good game right at that moment. The confidence that flowed off her, head held high, shoulders back, gaze steady, was not something that had been born in her. In fact, her nerves were a squabbling mess at that moment. However, the hours and hours of training finally seemed to have some good use to them.

"Do you need anything else from me?" Ashley spoke, not looking away from Doctor Ikeda's gaze.

"No, I believe we are finished," Ikeda said, shutting the file on his desk and breaking eye contact briefly. "But," and as he spoke, a smile melted into his features once more. Ashley noted it reached his eyes as genuine. This guy was good. "I hope you will come to me if you have any questions or any concerns. We try to support each other in this department."

"I will, thank you," she said with a bow, and turned on the ball of her foot to leave.

Once out the door and after it clicked shut behind her, a giant breath left her lungs; one she didn't realize she'd been holding.

If the woman at the front desk noticed anything amiss about Ashley's demeanor then, she didn't look up from her work. Bless her.

Well then.

Not knowing what else to do after that exchange, Ashley walked to her classroom only to lean against her desk, arms crossed over her chest and staring at the empty seats in front of her for several minutes. This was going to be quite the semester. Especially with three demons in her late class.

Three years ago, she wouldn't have had this anxiety. Sure, demons had started appearing out of nowhere in droves seven years ago, and before that they were known _of_ , but few people ever actually _knew_ a demon. For five years after they appeared seemingly overnight it was _safe_. Some incidents happened here and there, sure, but the demons who made their existence known didn't cause issues. The most "drama" that had been caused by their sudden appearance were talk show hosts wondering where these new _"creatures"_ \- Ashley winced at the memory of the "othering" term demons had been given back then - were coming from and if they were here to stay.

Right-wing Christians in America had had the worst time with it, having translated the word _yokai_ into the literal _demon_ , which they assumed meant Satan. Some preached the end of times, condemning the demons to hell and never thinking twice about it. A simple error in translation ended up creating one of the biggest waves of terror to sweep through a country, and led to two demons being abducted and "exorcised." Their bodies were found weeks later by a brother and sister playing in a ditch.

For the last couple of years, everywhere, hate crimes had errupted. Vandalism, violence, threats, burnings, even killings occurred, mostly by humans and sometimes by demons, all over the world. Some, such as the musical demon girl group, KRJ, spoke out against the violence, trying to convince people that not all demons were like what the media portrayed. Not all demons wanted violence against humans, just like not all humans wanted violence against demons. Most just wanted peace. Ashley had downloaded Koto, Ruka, and Juri's album back at university to show her support for the Human & Demon Peace Treaty. But the treaty had come before the worst of the violence had started. Suddenly, it became humans verses demons and a tense line had been drawn.

The treaty was now like brittle glass, threatening to break at any moment.

Nothing too serious had happened in almost eight months.

Ashley heaved a sigh, and reminded herself that most demons wanted peace. They wanted to live alongside humans without issue. If demons were in her class, one, it wasn't her business whether they were demon or human - the fact that her roster had differentiated her students was out of line, no matter what Doctor Ikeda said. It was only her business if these demons threatened the students in her class.

Even with this reminder, Ashley's heart didn't cease it's rapid beat against her ribs. Glancing at her watch it only read 10 in the morning. She still had three hours before her first class.

Her map that Ikeda had given her was now folded into her backpack, but she took it from it's now designated pocket and smoothed it over her desk, the wood worn smooth from years of use.

The foreign languages building was at the edge of campus, along with three other liberal arts buildings. There was a Student Center not far - maybe a ten minute walk? It was in the center of campus, with the science buildings on the other side.

Leaving room 217 behind, Ashley set out through the campus, walking between buildings just to familiarize herself with where things were. It was a lovely campus, even without the magnificent architecture that Cambridge had offered. The landscaping was done up nicely and trees shaded the walkways for students. During the summer months that was likely a nice reprieve, but as it was currently, it was still cool out and the shade only allowed that coolness to become cold. Even though she hadn't necessarily needed it this morning, Ashley was thankful she had her jacket with her.

By eleven, she'd seen all that she could. Walked back and forth a few times to make sure she knew her way around, and then made her way over to the Student Center for food, picking it up to take with her to a patio table outside. It was only then that she decided to check her phone.

One message was unopened, from an unknown number, sent nearly two hours ago.

- _Hey! It's Kuwabara! I got your number from Yukina hope you don't mind. Wanna have lunch together? I get out of class at 12:00._ -

Cursing, it was still an hour before he got out.

- _Well, I completely missed this text. Sorry! I'm eating now, but I'll sit with you when you get out. I don't have class until 13:00._ -

Ashley definitely didn't expect a text back as quickly as the one she received from Kuwabara in reply.

- _Meet at SC?_ -

SC? Oh.

- _I've got a table on the patio._ -

The hour passed fairly quickly, especially while Ashley could people watch from the second story, where people didn't automatically notice her as different. Feet propped up on the railing, hands shoved into the pockets of her jacket, she'd set an alarm on her phone so she could make her way back to her room in enough time, and had gotten comfortable to wait for Kuwabara, the only face she knew on this entire campus.

"Ashley!" Hearing her name, she turned to see Kuwabara waving at her from across the patio. He was not, she decided, the type to silently sneak up on people.

"Hey!" She waved her hand in greeting, not moving from her very warm place. She knew if she moved she'd immediately get cold again. Kuwabara pulled up a chair next to her. "How was class?" She asked the question in Japanese, knowing it would be easier for him than English, even though she was reluctant to give up English again so soon. Even though the conversation with Ikeda had been tense it had been nice to speak a language that was more natural for her.

Kuwabara began pulling the contents from his brown paper bag. Whatever it was looked delicious, and likely the result of Yukina's cooking. "It was fine, I guess. Freshmen always grate on my nerves though. Why are you wearing a jacket?"

That made Ashley pause. "Wait, freshmen? I thought you were getting your master's degree?"

He nodded, taking a bite. "Those classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mondays and Wednesdays I have to teach. Helps out the university or something like that." That made sense. Feeling weird not facing him directly, Ashley braced herself for the onslaught of cold she'd feel while re-positioning herself to sit in her chair like a normal human. While opening his cola he again asked, "Why are you wearing a jacket? It feels great out here."

"Maybe to you, but I'm always cold. Winter months are the worst for me."

"Seriously?" he said it like Ashley had just told him that sometimes it rained puppies. "But you're from London! Isn't it always cold there?"

Ah yes, the cookie-cutter response. The question Ashley _never_ got bored of.

"It is," she replied, containing the pent-up frustration of thousands of people literally always asking the same damn thing. "But I'm just always cold by nature."

Something occurred to Kuwabara then, because in between bites he stopped, looked at her funny, and then a smile broke out on his face. "Do you have any plans for dinner tonight?"

Well that question came out of the blue. Usually when people got on the tear about how she shouldn't be cold since she's from London they would then recommend their favorite hand warmers or blankets or jackets and how that one product would completely change her mind on being cold all the time. As if it was a choice she made. Or, the best responses she ever received were from the people, usually older white men, who would explain to her why she can't possibly have a nature towards being cold unless she wasn't truly British. That one always got to her.

Asking her what plans she had for dinner was a completely new reaction.

Stumbling for a quick reply, she finally ground out, "I usually don't make plans on school nights." Immediately seeing her mistake, she corrected, "Work nights. Not school. Work." Even after graduating four months ago, switching from thinking of them as "school nights" to "work nights" was still a foreign concept.

"We won't keep you out long. Yukina's making her amazing _miso katsudon_ since Hiei's in town. We thought you might like to join us." He took a quick sip of soda as Ashley turned it over in her mind.

Kuwabara could sense she was about to turn down his offer again.

"Have you had a chance to pick up food for your flat?"

* * *

Right at six o'clock, which was the time that Kuwabara said she should be at their home, Ashley arrived, for once that day, right on time.

Kuwabara had hit the nail on the head: she had no food at her apartment since she hadn't had a chance to stop by the store yet and she needed to eat.

"Oh my goodness, it smells amazing in here!" Ashley exclaimed as Kuwabara opened the door and welcomed her in. She nearly walked straight into their home, shoes on and all, before she remembered that Japan custom worked a little differently than England did, and retraced her steps, blushing a furious scarlet and issuing apologies as she removed her shoes and jacket.

Kuwabara grinned brightly, having noticed Ashley's mistake and attempt to fix it, and didn't feel the particular need to point it out. "Doesn't it though?"

Kuwabara and Yukina had a quaint sort of home. It was a flat, much larger than the one that Ashley currently resided in, with two bedrooms and two baths, a small kitchen, and living room, Kuwabara explained as they walked. The hallway from the front door opened up to the kitchen where Yukina cooked and Hiei lounged on one of the bar stools on the other side of the sink. She was surprised to see him there; had Kuwabara mentioned Hiei would be here too? She couldn't remember.

He quirked a brow as Ashley bowed in greeting to Yukina and him and turned to face the mint-haired girl once more. Kuwabara stepped around Ashley to take care of the cookware that was starting to pile up in the sink.

"It smells wonderful, Yukina," Ashley said as she hovered, unsure where to go.

Yukina noticed her hesitation and smiled, trying to ease the awkwardness she was sure Ashley felt. "Please, you're welcome to sit. And we have sake in the refrigerator."

She'd rather get a drink and then sit, she decided, so she pulled open the refrigerator's door and peered inside. After a moment of letting all the cool air out from the ice box, she finally asked, "Um, where might I find it?"

There was a moment where all motion and sound ceased in the kitchen.

"It's not in there?" Yukina asked, worry bleeding through her voice.

"No, it's not," Ashley replied. "I'm guessing it should be, though?"

She stepped quickly out of the way as Kuwabara forced his way to the front of the refrigerator, scanning everything in the fridge until he stepped back and ran a still-soapy hand through his hair, getting bubbles caught in it. "I must've forgotten to pick it up." Panicked, he glanced at Yukina, whose eyes were wide. "I'll just run down to the corner store and get some!"

In his mad dash to get his wallet and race out the door, he left the water running at the sink.

"Oh, Kazuma, wait!"

Yukina hurried out of the flat after him, to tell him whatever it was that she had suddenly thought of.

With a click, the door shut behind her. There was a long beat of silence as Ashley put together what exactly had just occurred and realized that she and Hiei were the last two in the apartment.

The water, she noted, was still running at the sink.

Crossing the kitchen, she shut it off with a squeak from the handle. Slowly, she looked up at Hiei, who sat on the opposite side of the counter from where she stood. He stared at her, an unreadable expression behind his crimson eyes.

Her heart did not beat faster. Butterflies did not appear in her stomach. She was very aware of him, and intrigued by him, but beyond that, she was calm. It was a strange feeling, even as he appraised her from his seat. "You know what they're doing, don't you?"

Ashley smiled blankly, her lips forming a thin line. "I believe I'm quite lost, frankly."

"It's obvious they're trying to set us up." The words cut through the silence that hung between them. If he was trying to get her riled up it wouldn't go so easily. She moved to sit next to him on the other bar stool. "They've tried to do it before. Tried and failed."

"I've never been set up before," Ashley admitted, sitting down. Even with the heat that had come from the kitchen it was cool in the flat, making her wish she'd kept her jacket on. "My friend, Isla, once tried to do it for me, but it also kind of failed. Miserably failed."

Hiei looked like he couldn't care less about who had set her up, when, or why. "Of course," Ashley began, realizing where all this had popped up from in that exact moment. "It probably has something to do with what I told Yukina last night after you left."

"And what would that be?" Hiei asked brusquely.

Ashley glanced at him, her gaze as steady as it had been the night before, trying to gauge what his reaction would be. She debated, only for a moment, whether she should tell him.

Eventually, she just wanted to see how he'd react and replied matter-of-factly, "I told her I think you're handsome."

 ** _\- End of Chapter Two -_**

* * *

 **Well then. (Smiles devilishly)**

 **Thank you to Star Charter, knightsqueen05, WistfulSin, and Totidem Verbis for reviewing! And thank you to all who favorite and followed! The support you showed me for last chapter was nearly overwhelming, especially when I wasn't sure if anyone would read this at all. And always, thank you to Star Charter for letting me hash out things and be a sounding board.**

 **If you'd like to connect with me or get writing updates, such as the "Oh I'm going to be late this week" that I posted yesterday, or the things I find inspiring for this fic, I have a tumblr! My username is o-dragon05. Look me up!**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	3. Well, This Isn't Awkward

Chapter Three

 _Well, This Isn't Awkward_

 ** _Four and a half years previously -_**

"You've _got_ to be joking."

Isla's voice cut through Ashley's haggard haze. She'd been awake all night studying, finally crashing about two hours previously when she couldn't cram any more math into her head.

Ashley turned in her seat to face Isla, flashcards in hand. "What, exactly, am I joking about?"

Isla stared at Ashley incredulously. "We're _eighteen_."

Ashley raised a brow, wishing Isla would just get on with it so she could keep going through her flashcards. "I am aware we're eighteen. And?"

Isla gestured to Ashley. To all of Ashley. "So what is this that you're wearing?" Her voice went up two octaves.

The brunette glanced down. "It's my lucky jumper. I always wear this on hard exam days."

Isla did not look convinced. "Do you become six years old again when you wear it?" Isla asked as she sat on Ashley's left.

Ashley pouted her bottom lip knowing that Isla couldn't keep the tension for long. "I'm just joking! But goodness. Really, Ashley?"

It wasn't like the jumper was over the top. No, it was the entire outfit. Little yellow flowers dotted a landscape of pink, and she wore it with a yellow cardigan and bright green tights. "Well, I've always passed every hard exam I had when I've worn it, so I think it's marvelous." Ashley sat a little straighter, tapping her flashcards against the desk's surface to straighten their edges. "You're just jealous."

"Yeah," Isla mumbled under her breath. _"That's_ what I am."

* * *

"You remember the dress, don't you?" Isla's voice cut through the receiver on Ashley's phone.

"Of _course_ I remember the dress. How could I _not_ remember the dress?" Ashley twirled a strand of hair between her fingers as she lounged on her futon with Knox. It was close to two in the afternoon over in London, and Isla had taken her afternoon break early to talk to her. "I'm the one who actually wore the dress for eight years, not you."

"Trust me, it's been burned into my memory," Isla's dry humor shot straight through the phone. Ashley chuckled at the memory, remembering the dress vividly and Isla's first experience with it. "You're worried about your late class. I get it. But that's why you should wear the dress! Keep up with tradition! If you don't wear it, what if your class goes horribly wrong and an asteroid hits your classroom or some other nonsense?"

"You know," Ashley stated. "You could be serious with this. Otherwise I may have to look for a new best friend."

Isla cackled. "Like you could replace me! You know you're going to wear the dress. Why don't you just admit it?"

"Because it's embarrassing!" Ashley cried with a half broken laugh in between her words. "Mum dressed me in it way back when I was fifteen! I'm twenty _three_ , Isla! How ridiculous am I going to look?"

"Honestly?" Ashley knew Isla was about to be her usual blunt self. "Very." Ashley breathed deeply, glancing at her closet from the corner of her eye. Mum must have packed it in her suitcase when she wasn't looking. Somehow it'd made its way to Sarayashiki with her after she specifically left it out to be donated. "But, it'll bring you luck. So you might as well."

Isla took the pause in conversation, having made her point, to say, "I know it's getting late and you need to go, but after your late class and whenever you get a chance, give me a ring. I need to tell you something about what's going on over at the House."

Ashley stiffened. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

"It's nothing urgent, and probably not important either. Just wanted to run it past you and see what you thought of it; that's all. But let's save that for a different day." Isla didn't let Ashley cut in. If she did, they'd be up all night. "When do you have summer break?"

"End of July through the end of August," Ashley replied, scratching Knox behind his lop-sided ear. Whatever it was that Isla had hinted at with the House didn't seem important enough to warrant any further questioning if Isla was this okay with letting the subject drop. The House had been passed on throughout Ashley's mother's side of the family for generations, and currently Sophia was looking after it. Sophia, who was Ashley's older sister and soon to be sister-in-law to Isla. "Will you be free for a visit?"

Ashley could see Isla nodding on the other end. "I will! I'll get back to you on dates, but consider it done. I miss you."

Ashley smiled a sad sort of smile. "I miss you too." She could tell Isla was about to get off the phone. She needed to get back to work, after all, and Ashley had work tomorrow, herself. "Take care of yourself, okay? And keep an eye on Sophia for me?"

Isla laughed. "Will do. And you keep yourself out of trouble too." At the mention of trouble, Ashley realized she'd forgotten to mention to Isla what she and Hiei had up their sleeve. Oh well; she'd tell her a different night. "Love you."

Ashley returned the sentiment and hung up, feeling a little lost as she returned, in a way, back to her little flat. Back to Sarayashiki, Japan, half a world away from her best friend.

* * *

There was no question about it: Ashley had to wear the dress.

Tuesday morning, while getting ready for work, she donned the outfit in battle-like preparation for her long day.

She was truly a sight to behold, and not the least bit terrifying. If she could feel people staring at her yesterday, today was nearly too much. She'd been prepared for it, though. Even decided that if she was going to dress like a child she would at least jazz the outfit up a little with a bumblebee brooch on the collar of her cardigan. At least it added a little sparkle to her otherwise overwhelmingly bright fashion choice.

The day passed quickly. She'd even thought to grab her copy of Julius Cesar to take to work to pass the time in between her two-thirty class that ended at four and her late class that began at seven.

Then, at 19:00 hours, it was time to face the class she'd begun dreading at nine thirty yesterday morning.

Ashley hid her anxiety behind a welcoming smile, hands clasped in front of her, and welcomed each and every student into her classroom. The class in total had nine students.

The first to arrive was about her age, who introduced himself as Nobuyuki Nojima. Another boy sauntered in and sat at the back of the class, his eyes blazing like liquid gold. He had deep violet hair. Possible demon, but also possible cosplayer. She didn't let him deter her excitement. She had to be excited to meet her students, even if she was shaking like a leaf inside. She'd always been shit at acting.

The next two that carefully looked around the door frame were Ren and Tetsuya. Ren was a small woman, and excited, making her personality fill the small classroom. Tetsuya, was definitely one of the three demons.

There was no assuming made behind this fact. His outward appearance said it all. Not only did he have to duck below the door frame's top in order to get into the class room, but his skin was the color of red clay. He obviously worked out quite frequently, as she was pretty sure one of his biceps was the width of her thigh. What gave it away beyond the color of his skin and his towering height, however, were the two slightly twisted horns protruding from his hairline at his temple and his canines that just barely overlapped his bottom lip. Yes, this man was one hundred percent demon, no doubts at all.

Still, even as she reminded herself not to tense up, and to welcome Tetsuya and Ren inside, they greeted her and quickly made their way to the back of the classroom to join the young man with the golden eyes.

The remaining five of her students didn't have much out of the ordinary about them. Two were above the age of fifty, one had blonde hair and blue eyes but spoke fluent Japanese and had not one hint of knowledge of English at all, and the other three crossed the front of the classroom to sit on the far side. Most of her students had coffee in their hands or water or gum. Anything to stave off the tired feeling that came with having a late class.

Ashley had her usual mint tea, which she took a sip of as she checked her watch, calming her nerves before she started class.

At least she didn't have to worry about trying to blend in in this class. And even though she looked a bit like something out of a cartoon, her entire class was diverse. Not just herself.

She bowed, addressing her students. "I welcome you to my classroom, Introduction to English," she spoke in Japanese, and crossed her desk to write her name on the dry erase board as she had with every class thus far. Once more she sent up silent thanks that it wasn't a chalk board. "My name is Wright Ashley. For the next three weeks we will be speaking Japanese as we develop a foundation in English. After that, I expect you to speak exclusively in English. As I have learned, immersion is the best teacher.

"Now," she turned back to them with a small smile. "As you can tell I am not Japanese. I was born in England and raised there. English is my first language. However, this does not mean I will ever judge you for what you say or mis-say, if the case may be. This is a judgment-free zone in all matters. What happens in our class stays in our class. We are here to learn, and I expect one hundred percent participation. Why don't we go around and introduce ourselves?"

The class passed fairly quickly and without incident. As each student introduced themselves, Ashley made small notes in her roster as to how to tell each student apart. The boy with the golden eyes, she noted, was named Mako. Although 'demon' was listed as his specie, she half thought the roster got it wrong. He certainly didn't look like a demon. And Ren, the small woman who came in with Tetsuya, was also a demon, apparently. The roster also listed Nobuyuki as seventeen, which was just as astonishing to her.

She barely had time to touch on all points of the syllabus and take a look at the textbook she would be using for the semester before the clock showed eight thirty and class let out. Assigning chapter one as reading, as the students gathered their things and filed out the door, likely heading home for the evening.

Two forms approached her desk however. Ashley glanced up from the roster, immediately recognizing Tetsuya and Ren in front of her.

 _Don't be nervous, don't be nervous,_ she reminded herself and donned a smile. "Yes?" she asked.

Ren stepped forward, obviously nervous. "We just wanted to say, or rather - I just wanted to say," she fumbled for her words. As she spoke, Ashley noticed slightly pointed teeth. It was at that moment that Ren bowed to Ashley. Bowed _low._ "Thank you for not making a big deal about us being in your class. I mean, it's pretty obvious we're demons, so we really appreciate it."

Now, Ashley was the one at a loss for words. Had some other teacher pointed them out in class? Had they outed these two as demons? That was never the appropriate response, especially since no one knew who demon allies were and who wanted them dead.

"You're welcome?" Ashley tried. "I just want my classes to be as accepting as possible, for anyone who wants to learn."

"Well," Tetsuya spoke then, his voice deep. Up until then, he'd hung back, large hands grasping the straps of his backpack, and let Ren approach her. "It means a lot." He seemed a man of few words. He looked like he wanted to say more, but didn't make a move to.

Ashley wasn't sure quite what to do in that moment, so she did what she would do with any of her students. "Let me know if you need anything, okay? Until then, I'll see you on Thursday."

Ren's face, with her high cheekbones and sparkling eyes, lit up. "Yes! We'll see you then!"

They both bowed deeply and left, and as they did Ashley realized that Mako had been waiting for them in the hallway. He slouched into the weight of his backpack, hands shoved into his jean's pockets, and watched Ashley with a stare that reminded her completely of Hiei and the way he'd stared at her twice, now.

* * *

The bustling French-style cafe was busier than Ashley thought it would be at nine in the morning on a Wednesday. It was a little place that Yukina had recommended when Ashley mentioned she would be meeting Hiei. Yukina, barely suppressing delight, had given her the address for this little place, and it did not disappoint.

Ashley, of course, had visited Paris in the springtime and had sat outside at a small table quietly sipping on her coffee as she watched the French go about their day. This little place, Le petit Cafe, was modeled after a cafe of a similar sort. Outside there were two patios: one on the bottom floor, and one on the top. Small tables and chairs for two to four people had been set about. The decor was definitely French-inspired with everything from fashion magazine covers to illustrations of the Eiffel Tower. The food imitated the classic croissant, eclair, macaron, creme brulee, and other French desserts and pastries. And while they served coffee and tea, it was not a French cafe. It was a Japanese cafe with a French theme. However, it was nice.

Ashley had woken early, much earlier than she had on Monday, thankfully, and decided to lie in bed a little longer than usual, just taking in the quiet morning before things got hectic. As soon as Knox heard her moving about on her futon, he attempted to hop onto the mattress, his stubby legs barely having the force needed for such a feat. Eventually, Ashley picked him up and set him next to her, only for him to decide that no, that was not the place he wanted to be, and instead clambered onto her stomach and laid right on her very full bladder.

Ashley got up after that.

The meeting with Hiei was set to end early enough that she'd have enough time to return to her flat to change for work long before her one o'clock class began. He didn't seem much like a talker, after all, so she figured give it an hour, maybe even two if he decided to surprise her, and she'd be headed back.

Knox, however, was having none of this. When Ashley took him out to relieve himself, he whined. As Ashley showered, he whined. As she dressed, he whined. As she was halfway over the threshold he let out a whine so pathetic she just about cried herself out of sympathy for the poor creature.

"Do you want to go, then?" she asked, doorknob still in one hand as she looked back over her shoulder at him.

Knox, of course, perked up immediately, both ears standing up at attention, whereas usually one was constantly cocked to the side in a permanently goofy position.

So, Knox came with her. As he trotted along beside her in the chilly morning air, he caught the attention of every single person they passed. It took them nearly thirty minutes to walk to the cafe where it should have only taken them fifteen, because every person they passed wanted to stop and pet Knox. Not that Ashley could blame them. He was positively adorable.

Thankfully, the cafe allowed pets as long as they were outside. So, once she ordered her tea, mint as usual, and climbed the staircase to the second floor she found two chairs set with a table at the edge of the balcony. The table perfectly overlooked the street below lined with cherry trees lush with sakura blossoms. The barista had given Ashley a pup-achino, which she set on the ground for Knox.

It occurred to Ashley, as she settled back into her seat with her tea, just how stereotypically British she was right at that moment.

The thought fled quickly as she wondered exactly how Hiei was supposed to find her here. There were two stories, and he had specifically said he didn't have a cell phone.

At the memory, Ashley nearly snorted. Who the bloody hell didn't have a cell phone these days?

Two nights previously she'd told Hiei point-blank she thought he was handsome. She'd wanted to see his reaction, but nothing could have predicted the perfect coincidence of Yukina returning at the very moment she'd finished uttering the words. She hadn't gotten to see Hiei's reaction at all, as carefully composed as he kept his face, and she didn't have another moment alone with him to continue their previous conversation.

The night had been a relaxing one. Kuwabara was such fun to be around, and Yukina kept things light when Kuwabara and Hiei's antics started to get out of hand. Ashley had the distinct feeling that Hiei and Kuwabara had known each other for some time, and knew exactly which buttons to push to get the most rise out of the other.

Still, it was a work night, and once dinner was finished, Ashley had been the first to push away from the table. After bidding goodbye to Kuwabara and Yukina, and a much more distant farewell to Hiei, Ashley had stepped out from their apartment building into the cool night air only to dig her phone from her purse and try to bring up directions back to her own building. Everything looked different in the dark even though she'd walked these streets just a few hours prior.

She was sure she hadn't been standing there that long when Hiei emerged from the apartment building, the streetlight above his head bathing him in an ethereal glow.

Ashley glanced up at him, question ready on her lips. "Do they really try to set you up all the time?"

They regarded each other silently for a moment, the light from Ashley's cell creating a similar effect on her face.

Hiei was an enigma. Something to be figured out. His face was composed and his eyes betrayed nothing of what he felt. He stood there casually, hands shoved into his pockets, and made no move to walk away.

He finally replied, "Yes."

Man, that sucked. "Have you ever thought about pranking them for it? Get them back?"

He cocked his head ever so slightly, as if he was trying to figure her out. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"You know," Ashley turned to face him more fully, pocketing her phone for the moment. "Pretend to date someone just to get your friends off your back. And to kind of show them that you can do whatever the hell you want." He didn't move, but continued to watch her. They stood apart, not nearly far enough that either had to raise their voice to the other to hear them, and close enough that with just a few steps one could close the gap. Neither of them moved from their respective positions. "Obviously if they see you dating they'll likely back off. I'm guessing they just want to see you happy. That's how my friend, Isla, always is for me."

"And how on earth do you propose I find someone to conduct this prank with?" His tone nearly dripped with disdain as if he could barely bring himself to entertain the thought of such an activity, but Ashley plowed ahead. If he wanted to end the conversation he could just as easily walk away. She'd had exams back at university during her physics courses that were more intimidating than Hiei was.

Ashley replied, undeterred, "Do you have any girlfriends? You know," she clarified quickly, "friends who are female? Or identify as female? Or maybe you don't like women, and that's fine. Maybe any single men in your life?"

Hiei was obviously not entertained by Ashley trying to be inclusive. She immediately held up her hands in surrender, "Well, you never know; I'm not going to judge." With a quick laugh to clear the air, she said, "But still, that'd be the place to start if I were you."

Hiei was silent a beat, possibly mulling the idea over. "And if I don't have any single friends who are female?"

The question hung in the air. Ashley considered it carefully before saying, "Well, I've got nothing better to do."

She'd nearly earned a smirk from him at that remark. Nearly. He caught himself before it showed too much. From what she knew of him so far, she was nearly positive he would implode if he showed too much happiness.

When she asked for his number to plan a meet-up to get to know one another, he told her he didn't have a cell phone and to tell Yukina of the details for where to meet and she'd get them to him.

How horribly inconvenient. If this was going to work, he needed some sort of communication device that didn't rely solely on one of the people they were trying to prank not figuring out what they were up to.

"You're early," Hiei's voice snapped her back to reality, making her jump away from him in surprise.

" _Jesus bloody Christ_ ," she swore, hand coming up to rest on her beanie to make sure it hadn't slipped off during her sudden burst of activity. She glanced up at him as he took the seat opposite of her, dressed in the same black cloak and white scarf as he'd worn Monday night. "Do you want anything?" She asked as she willed her racing heart to calm.

Ashley was sure twelve years had just been erased from her lifespan.

If Kuwabara couldn't sneak up at all, Hiei was the master of sneaking up.

"No," he replied as he sat opposite of her, lounging in his chair. Knox was immediately happy for the extra company and put his front two paws on Hiei's chair, whining and wagging his stub of a tail to try to get Hiei's attention.

Hiei looked absolutely disgusted by Knox's displays of affection and shoved Knox off his chair. Ashley caught the entire exchange. "You don't have to be rude to my dog, you know" she deadpanned. Of course Hiei was the type to dislike puppies. What the hell had she gotten herself into? She leaned over, calling Knox to her and away from Hiei, scratching him behind his cocked ear like he liked until he laid at her feet.

"But seriously, do you want anything? It's kind of chilly out here." She wrapped her hands around her own mug of tea.

"I'm fine," Hiei responded. "Anyway, how do we do this?"

His brusque tone set her on edge. Thinking back to her own "fancy" lessons as she called them as a child, Mrs. Potter would have had an aneurysm if she ever had to teach the man in front of her. Politeness was not a word that seemed to be in his vocabulary.

"Well, I've never done this before, but I suppose if we're going to do things convincingly we ought to at least know about each other." She paused, waiting for Hiei to begin.

When he didn't, and instead stared at the flurry of people rushing about below their spot on the balcony, Ashley continued, "Or at least be able to talk to each other."

Hiei still didn't utter a word.

What on earth had she gotten herself into?

"Well, I'll begin, then!" She said, perking up, and trying to diffuse the situation from the awkward spell that had descended upon them. Hiei's gaze snapped back to her. At least she'd managed to get his attention. "I was born in London to my parents, Susan and William, and have two older siblings, Oliver and Sophia. They're both about to be married. What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"That's none of your business," he snapped quickly.

Okay, avoiding _that_ subject.

"Well," Ashley continued, undeterred. "What do you like to do in your free time? I love to read and I used to play the piano, but I haven't done that in years." When he didn't respond straight away, she changed the subject again, "Or work! We could talk about work. You probably already know through Yukina, but I teach English over at Mushiyori University. What do you do for work?" She leaned toward him, trying to engage him in the conversation.

"I travel and go where I'm needed." Finally! Words! When he looked up to find her staring intently at him, he continued, "I diffuse situations."

A mediator. Ashley could not see this man, in any capacity, hold a job as a _mediator_. Mediators were supposed to be warm and welcoming and offer ideas and advice in tense situations. At the present moment, Ashley could only see him making things worse in a situation like that. He was as warm as a prickly porcupine!

"That's really very interesting," she replied, taking a sip of her tea to hide the laugh that was threatening to work its way out. "And it sounds very difficult. How did you get into that line of work?"

He just stared at her for a moment before finally saying, "You know, this conversation is extremely vexing."

Ashley felt as if she'd been scolded, which was a ridiculous notion. Instead of trying to save the topic, she changed it, trying not to let her distress show.

"We don't have to talk about that," she said, dismissing it entirely. "We could talk about a million things. We could talk about music, or books, or even talk about the weather-"

It was in that moment that Knox, tiny protector that he was, saw a bird land on the balcony railing so close to Ashley's head. He barked, scaring Ashley once more, and so much so that she knocked her knee against the table in surprise. It stung, and she clutched her joint, only looking back up at Hiei once she'd gotten Knox calmed down again.

Hiei glared at her with a look that could burn.

Her tea, which had been resting on the table, had been knocked over when her knee hit the table, effectively spilling and running directly into Hiei's lap.

She gaped, trying to come to terms with what she had just done. "I-I'm sorry! Here, let me just-"

"Don't bother," came his curt reply. "You've reminded me exactly why I thought this was a terrible idea to begin with." He stood, and with a flurry of his black cloak, disappeared into the cafe, leaving Ashley to sit at the table alone and endure the burning stares of questioning people all around. At least she hadn't mentioned any of this to Isla; there was nothing to tell her about now.

She did realize, with a curious thought, as she gathered napkins and cleaned up her mess, that Hiei had never asked about what she had said before Yukina came back into the room two nights prior.

* * *

 **Oh, my babies, if only you knew what I have in store for you!**

 **Fun fact! I've written Ren and Tetsuya before. They're two of my favorite OCs. Their origin story will be posted on my Tumblr later this afternoon if anyone is interested: o-dragon05.**

 **Thank you to destinyswindow and Star Charter who reviewed last week, and Anonymous who sent me a lovely message in my ask on my tumblr. I always love seeing everyone's thoughts. If you like this, please be sure to comment!**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	4. Impossible Thoughts

Chapter Four

 _Impossible Thoughts_

"Ashley mentioned you two had gotten together for coffee," Yukina called over her shoulder as Hiei slipped into Yukina and Kuwabara's second bedroom to retrieve his katana. They'd gotten the two bedroom two bath apartment as a way to tempt him to stick around more, he was sure of it. He never actually used the bedroom, however, for anything more than a storage space when he needed it, like today. Human world hated strange people dressed in black to be carrying a katana in open view, Hiei had quickly learned several years prior.

The mention of the human girl did nothing to phase him except bring back the annoying memory of her persistence to form some sort of communication between them. If he had to, he could at least say she'd been determined. Why, however, he could not say. "Are you going to see her again?" Yukina's voice drifted in from the living room. She'd been reading in an armchair with Kuwabara across from her studying some sort of papers that had been spread about in front of him. A bottle of ibuprofen sat next to Yukina on a table; she must have been suffering from a headache.

Hiei nearly snorted at the thought. "No, not likely," he said, leaving the spare room and joining them briefly in the living room before he left again. Yukina, he noted, had the distinct look of disappointment in her eyes, as if he had just told her she couldn't get a puppy for Christmas. The look was there and gone again in a flash. Too quick for any normal person - human or demon - to catch.

"Eh, it's just as well, I guess," Kuwabara began, not bothering to look up from his studies in front of him. "Not like Ashley would've liked you very much anyway."

There it was: Kuwabara's jibe. He always had one up his sleeve.

Hiei's irritation rose. "Is that why you tried setting us up, then?" He snapped.

 _That_ caught Kuwabara's attention. "Hey!" he shouted, finally looking up and jabbing his pencil in Hiei's direction. "We were trying to help _you_ out! It's not like you could get a girlfriend and keep her, anyway!"

The implied meaning behind his words lashed at him like a blade. To anyone who knew his reputation, Hiei was nothing except cold, strong, and emotionless. A reputation he liked to keep. Still, assuming he couldn't even find a partner hit him like a ton of bricks, especially from one he counted as a friend.

He had long since had the idea that the oaf felt this way, but it had never been brought to light. Kuwabara was in a committed relationship with Yukina. So was Yusuke with his human female, Keiko. Only he and the fox were the ones not to venture that way, but it wasn't for lack of wanting. Having a partner would be a nice reprieve to the loneliness that sometimes visited him at night, but not necessary to survival. In the world as it was now, it would likely be a hindrance more than anything. His enemies, no doubt, if they found out he had a partner, would try to use her against him.

Still, the words sank their teeth into his heart. His bored and slightly irritated mask never failed.

Before he had a chance to retort, however, Yukina spoke up, her usually demure voice hard as crystals.

"Kuwabara," she began, slipping a finger between the pages she was currently reading to hold her place as she closed it on her lap. "Remember, it does take _two_ to have a relationship. If Hiei met with her and they talked and they both realized that it wasn't a good fit, then that's their decision. Now, can you both not fight today? Please?"

Not wanting to cause her any more pain than what she was already having to suffer, they both instead shot daggers at each other over Yukina's head until Hiei turned on his heel and disappeared out the door.

* * *

It was Saturday before Ashley heard from Hiei again.

Knox had started pawing at the door, right as dinner was about to come out of the oven, and right as rain had started to fall outside.

"Hold on, hold on!" Ashley muttered under her breath as she removed the shepherd's pie from the oven and quickly grabbed Knox's leash and a rain jacket. Praying dinner wouldn't cool too quickly, Ashley rushed Knox outside into the soft rain.

As he relieved himself, Ashley took a look around. The apartment building had set up a small park with a swing set for children and a garden for the residents to enjoy. It was a nice sort of thing. Under the rain, however, no children were playing on the swing set and no one was out to enjoy the flowers today.

A shadow caught Ashley's eye, black as night, from just over her shoulder.

As she turned, she caught Hiei's crimson gaze across the garden from her.

He didn't wear a rain coat or use an umbrella, however the constant drizzle didn't seem to bother him.

Ashley didn't bother to call out a hello. After their parting words three days prior, or lack thereof, she didn't owe him anything.

Eventually, Knox realized they had company, finished his business, and whined at Hiei, trying to reach him and tugging on his leash. Hiei's gaze flicked to him.

"He likes you," Ashley finally stated. "I can't imagine why."

Hiei paused. "I've changed my mind."

As surprised as Ashley was to hear those words after his abrupt dismissal of her on Wednesday, she wasn't ready to let him off the hook just yet. "I'm sorry, you what?"

Hiei replied, "I changed my mind."

"About what?" Ashley asked, pretending to be dumbfounded. Knox decided to sit on the wet grass at the end of his leash and look back at her, tongue lolling.

Glowering, Hiei looked like a partially-drowned cat. The rain slowly picked up to a steady downpour, and as fun as it was to play with him, Knox would be a mess to clean up if he got any wetter. Going inside was the only option she could see at this point.

"I've got dinner ready," she finally said as the rain increased in intensity. "Are you hungry?"

When he didn't respond, Ashley turned to jog back under the awning of her building, Knox on her heels, not caring if Hiei followed her or not. When she looked back over her shoulder, however, he was behind her, having followed her out of the rain. His usually spiky black hair was falling flat. Any longer outside and he would have been drenched.

Ashley faced him, fully, now that Knox was out of the rain. Pushing the hood of her rain jacket out of her face, she said, "The only way you're coming up, however, is if you apologize. I'm not going to take your bullshit attitude in my home."

He stood over her five foot five frame by a few inches, and while he wasn't burly like Kuwabara, he was lean muscle. Even beneath his cloak that was obvious. It should have intimidated her, but Oliver stood at nearly six feet and could barely fit into a suit without it being tailored. Having grown up with him as a teenager, few things frightened her anymore.

He clenched his jaw; it was likely that he wasn't used to someone bossing him around, especially someone he barely knew.

Ashley, however, didn't back down.

"I… apologize," he ground out, not looking away from her steely gaze.

"For?" she prompted. She didn't move.

"Do I really need to spell it out for you? Isn't my apology enough?"

She hadn't managed to run him off yet, so he must be sincere enough that he was willing to stand before her and say it and not just dismiss her and disappear like he did last time.

Without a word, Ashley turned from him and led him through her building back up to her flat. He followed her on her heels silently, but once they made it through her door she said, "Hold him?" She handed Hiei Knox's leash without waiting for his acceptance and disappeared through her flat to get some towels.

Returning, she handed one to Hiei who accepted it without a word, then bent to rub the extra water off Knox.

"What made you change your mind?" Ashley asked, glancing up to Hiei as he removed his cloak and patted the water from his skin.

"Kuwabara never knows when to keep his mouth shut," Hiei responded. "He never has."

Hiei wasn't a very open person, Ashley noted. If the last time they saw each other was any indication, he didn't like to share himself or his reasons behind things. Apparently that went for his answer to her now, as well.

"You need to prove yourself or something?" Ashley asked, standing and taking his towel and cloak which dripped every few seconds on the floor. "I'm going to hang this in the tub to dry."

He nodded once as she disappeared into the bathroom and said, "Just the opposite. I don't need anyone's approval and I don't need to prove myself." Ashley came back out of the bathroom and crossed to the stove where her shepherd's pie still sat waiting. "But the oaf needs to shut his mouth."

A small smile slipped onto Ashley's lips. Just from meeting Kuwabara the few times she had she could see him accidentally stepping over the boundary of what to say and what not to say and when to say it.

She took two plates from her cupboard and served the shepherd's pie. "Do you want anything to drink?" Looking over her shoulder, Hiei still stood awkwardly in her doorway.

"You know, you don't have to be so tense," she said, pouring a glass of water for herself. "I'm not going to murder you or anything." She smiled, trying to let Hiei know he was free to relax, but even though he moved to a few feet behind her, he was still as tightly wound as a spring. "I try to make my flat feel a little more British, you know? Just to keep a piece of home around me. Have you ever had this before?" She held out the plate for Hiei to take.

"Can't say I have," he replied as he took it and looked at the concoction of meat, potatoes, carrots, and celery. "What on earth is this?" To someone who had never seen a shepherds pie it would likely seem a little odd to cover the lamb with mashed potatoes, but to Ashley, it was home.

"Mum used to make this for me and my siblings when Dad was away, way back when I was little." She went ahead and poured him a glass of water since he never actually said what he wanted to drink. Everyone liked water, right? "Reminds me of home, you know?"

Hiei didn't say a word, but rather followed her to the kontatsu where Knox was already waiting.

As he sat, he looked at the plate of food questioningly. "Go ahead," Ashley encouraged. "Tuck in!"

Hiei still sat there, and quickly Ashley realized where the cultural gap was coming from. " _Itadakimasu_!" She said. "Sorry, we don't say that before we eat in England. But we can also say grace if you want."

Rather than replying to her, he also said, " _Itadakimasu,_ " under his breath and lifted the fork to his mouth. Ashley watched him chew for a moment before taking her own bite. Spices and flavors of home filled her mouth as she watched him.

"This is good," he finally said before his second bite.

"Thank you," Ashley replied, letting her gaze fall back to her own plate. Trying to be discreet, she watched the stranger in her home. He seemed to enjoy the food at least, and slowly seemed to relax while taking in her apartment. Knox roamed from Hiei to Ashley when he realized Hiei wouldn't be giving up his food for him. Ashley ran a hand down Knox's coat.

"Have you read all those?" He asked and nodded to the books that lined her shelves.

"I have," she replied. "I couldn't bare to leave them behind. I think I should have majored in books, honestly; I love to read." When his gaze snapped back to her, she fell silent, not sure if she should continue.

The only sound in the little flat was the pouring rain outside her window and the intermediate cracks of lightning, which she loved.

"Leave them behind," he said aloud, mulling over the words as Ashley took another bite. "You're here from England, correct?"

Once she chewed and swallowed, she replied, "Yes, from London. I'm here teaching English."

"Tell me about it." It sounded less like a request and more like a demand, and honestly, Ashley was confused what exactly he wanted her to tell him. She voiced her question and Hiei replied with a low scoff, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "About England, or London. Whichever."

"Well," Ashley began, wiping her lips and setting down her fork. How to tell a complete stranger about the beauty that was her city? "London itself is quite small, and it's been around for centuries. Which means that the architecture is gorgeous, and it's got so much history, you know? But I'm sure you do; everyone knows how London _looks_. I mean, yeah, London's got it's problems, but every place does. It's an incredible city with people who are pretty incredible, themselves. Some of the nicest people I've ever met have come from London."

She paused and glanced up, catching Hiei's gaze. "Do you miss it?"

"Well, yeah," Ashley replied. "It's home. It's the place I grew up, and all my friends are there. And my family's there."

"Your family?" he prompted, taking another bite and listening to her talk. Or perhaps he was pretending to listen to her talk. He didn't look particularly interested.

Ashley nodded anyway. She'd direct questions back to him soon enough. Maybe what he needed was someone else beginning the conversation to get started, himself.

"My Mum and Dad live there. Dad's got the company, which he's training my brother, Oliver, to take over one day. Oliver's about to be married to Emily, like I said the other day, and Emily's got her son, James, who's nine, from her first marriage. You can tell, though, that Oliver loves James like his own," Ashley replied easily with a smile. It was always easy to talk about her family. "Dad thinks I'd be good at the company, too. Apparently, I've got some natural knack for technology or something - can you believe it? _Me_ , who'd rather have my nose in a book? - and my sister, Sophia, is essentially going to inherit the House." At Hiei's questioning look, Ashley continued. "The House is… how do I explain the House?

"It's been on my Mother's side of the family for generations," she continued, finally just deciding to barge on through the explanation. That was really the only way not to bore people. "It's just a wee bit south of London in a tiny village of Pluckley. We've owned that house for decades and decades. It's got about four ghosts I think, unless the number has risen some recently." At Hiei's slightly concerned look, Ashley defended, "Well, my Aunt is about to pass on and when she does, Sophia will inherit it. If Aunt Cathy's got any lingering issues, she'll probably stick around, too, with how attached she is to it. And then Sophia is about to marry Daniel, who is the brother of my best friend, Isla. Speaking of which, I need to call her back." Ashley, not wanting to get up from the kontatsu at that moment and break their conversation, as one-sided as it was, decided to make a mental note to call Isla later. Hiei looked slightly lost. "You need a family tree, don't you?" Ashley teased with a smile as she took another bite.

"Now, I know you probably are bored listening to _me_ talk. How about you?" she encouraged. "I mean, I know you didn't want to talk about your family before, but where did you grow up?"

He paused, hesitating. "I grew up all over; never really in one place."

Ashley decided to try to coax his replies out, even though it hadn't worked so well just a few days ago. "Was your family in the military? Or oil?"

She could feel him grow tense next to her. It took a few long seconds but he eventually ground out, "I was alone for most of it."

That was like a kick in the shins. Great job, Ashley, she internally criticized herself. He was in the foster system. Great way to bring up possibly painful memories. No wonder he didn't want to talk about it.

Quickly, she changed the subject. "What do you like to do in your free time?" When he paused, she continued, "You know I like to read, obviously; what do you like to do?"

He shifted. "I enjoy training," he said. All his responses seemed measured somehow, like he was trying to find the best way to answer her without answering directly. It was almost like there was a second meaning behind all his words. "I don't have time for much else."

"So, like, martial arts? Or do you lift?" Ashley eyed his toned arms again, now fully visible since he removed his cloak. He wore black pants and a shirt that had the sleeves cut off. One arm was wrapped from wrist to elbow, as if he was injured somehow.

"I am skilled in sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat," Hiei replied. When he didn't try to continue with details, Ashley motioned to his right arm and the wrap.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Hiei looked confused for a moment until Ashley motioned again to his arm.

His eyes leveled in understanding. "No," he said with a brief shake of his head. "This has to do with part of my training."

Again, no details were given, but Ashley didn't pry, just changed the subject. "So what's your favorite type of food? You said you traveled a lot, right? Surely you've gotten to try lots of things." Slowly but surely, Hiei opened up for Ashley in his strangely measured responses.

Their conversation continued at their awkward pace for the next hour or two, until their plates were clean and the rain let up enough for Hiei not to get drenched as he left.

"Oh, Hiei!" Ashley called over her shoulder at the kitchen sink as Hiei shrugged on his cloak. "If you'd still like to do this, would you please get a phone and give me your number? This'll be loads easier if we can communicate directly rather than through Yukina or hoping you show up in the flowerbeds."

She said it so seriously and kept her face so devoid of the laughter she felt bubbling up within her, in hopes to make Hiei crack a smile. It didn't succeed. "That's fine; I can do that," he replied, not even acknowledging her attempt at a joke.

As he slipped out the door which clicked shut behind him, she turned to Knox who was ignoring her at that moment and instead sniffing around the kontatsu for crumbs. Ashley sighed and muttered, "What on earth have I committed myself to?"

 _ **\- End of Chapter Four -**_

* * *

 **I apologize this chapter is late. One week ago today I learned there was a little tropical depression growing in the Gulf of Mexico. I started stocking up on supplies. Over the few days that led to Friday, that little tropical storm grew into the worst hurricane that the United States has seen in over a decade and the worst storm that has hit my area in decades, plural. Over the weekend I could barely write, trying to keep up with the weather without succumbing to my growing anxiety. Today has been the first day I've been able to concentrate on something other than Possible Impending Doom. Even now, we have notice to watch the Bayou levels that are less than a mile from my apartment. The river levels are still rising, but for now I am safe and dry.**

 **The sun is out and Harvey has passed us, but there's still flooding everywhere. Ambulances still wail and wake us and disappear again. Military and coast guard helicopters still pass by low overhead. The rivers still overflows. Evacuations are still being ordered and rescues are still being performed. Roads still collapse under the weight of constant water. Homes are still lost to the continually creeping waters.**

 **So many people have been displaced. It's so much worse than what the news says. If you can, donate your time, funds, prayers, food, items, anything you can spare. I am safe and dry, but I have friends and immediate family who are not.**

 **Thank you to BreakingSerenity0629, Ne Quittez Pas, WistfulSin, Ikara-o-Kage, Totidem Verbis, destinyswindow, and Star Charter for reviewing Chapter Three.** **I apologize I have not replied to your beautiful reviews yet.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	5. A Gentle Push

Chapter Five

 _A Gentle Push_

" _Today, the Canadian Prime Minister, Wil Martin, and the President of the United States, Evan Kilpatrick, met to discuss environmental protections they can implement to decrease…_ "

Landon Stride's calm and even voice always put Ashley's mind to ease, and his morning news with the BBC was just what she wanted to wake up to. It was a quick refresher to what was going on in the world which always left Ashley ready to face the day.

She'd put it on while getting ready for work, playing it from the speaker of her phone so she could listen to it while in the shower and as she searched for the homework that she'd had her students complete last week.

"Where the hell…?" She asked aloud, fully dressed, and tearing her flat apart looking for the nine pages she was sure she put on top of the kontatsu, but now were missing.

" _In other news,_ " Landon Stride continued in his reassuring tone, " _Yesterday, during the football game between Ajax and Feyenoord_..."

Ashley tore the sheets from her bed; maybe they'd somehow managed to get shoved between the folds of fabric?

" _…nearly came to blows as tensions between demons and humans continue to rise…_ "

Ashley slipped back to the kitchen. Maybe she'd sat the papers down on the counter as a way to grab them on her way out the door? She had her other two classes' of homework together in her bag. It was just her late night class whose homework had gone missing. She hadn't had a chance to grade it over the weekend and figured she would wake up early that Tuesday morning to grade them real quick. Once she'd graded them, she quickly recorded the grades and jumped in the shower, knowing the time to leave for her first class was quickly approaching.

" _…no one was harmed in the displays of aggression, but both sides put up their own defense. We were able to speak with…_ "

As Ashley surveyed the tiny flat - _seriously, they could only be in one or two places_ \- a distressed whine reached her ears. Following the noise to the kontatsu, she lifted the blanket and found Knox staring right at her, pieces of the homework pages caught in his fur and nestled around him like snow.

"You have _got_ to be joking," Ashley snapped, pulling Knox out from his hiding place as he whined dejectedly. Little pieces of paper fluttered from his fur as she lifted him to face her. "You are such a _pillock_!"

Gathering up the pieces of homework and stashing them in her bag, and attaching Knox's leash to his collar, Ashley left her flat in a huff.

* * *

"Well, the story is that I can't leave this guy alone for two seconds," Ashley explained to her morning class. That was met with every pair of eyebrows raising unanimously. Knox had made himself quite comfortable on the lap of one of her students, who kept one hand on him, stroking his fur, and the other hand ready with pen in hand, for the lecture to begin. "He completely ate all of my night class' homework."

A rouse of laughter filled the classroom. "I know, I know," Ashley said with a sigh. "It sounds crazy, but I at least have evidence to back me up."

The class loved having Knox in the room with them. Halfway to the train station Ashley had begun wondering if Knox would prove to be too much of a distraction for her students, but her morning class did great with him. It also helped that once Knox found a lap to lay on he didn't move again until the student had to get up.

Once class let out at eleven thirty, Ashley had barely ushered her last student through her door before someone new stuck their head in. "Ashley Wright?" He said in English with a grin. Knox immediately perked his head up from where he'd been deposited between the desks and whined anxiously.

"Yes, that's me," Ashley answered him, curious. He was a tall man, although not nearly as tall as Tetsuya, and skin the natural color of bronze. If being human could be determined by outward appearance alone, this man was definitely human.

"I am Luis Cerda," his eyes twinkled when he spoke and his smile was cocked to one side, teeth white as pearl. "I am the Spanish teacher, just down the hall. Another teacher and I are about to head to lunch and we wanted to extend an offer for you to join us?" He spoke with a Spanish accent.

If Ashley had been Isla, she would have had trouble speaking in front of this Luis. He was the type of guy that Isla would swoon all over: he had high cheekbones, and black, swept back hair, and it was obvious he worked out and kept his physical form at top notch.

Ashley, however, wasn't Isla, but smiled inwardly to herself at the thought of Isla in this situation. "Sure," she replied instead. "Is it okay if I bring my dog?"

Knox was still lying on the cool tile floor, his hind legs out behind him. Even with the new visitor, he didn't move.

"Yeah, he's welcome! Don't let Doctor Ikeda see him, though." When Ashley raised her brow in question, Luis laughed. "Ikeda's more of a rabbit person, honestly."

That was something Ashley never would have thought of. "Will do; thank you for that little tidbit." Luis grinned in return and waited for Ashley to gather her things and Knox's leash and led her out a back way from the building, and away from Ikeda's office. Just outside the foreign languages building were some tables set up so people could eat or relax outside when it was warm. A few trees blossomed around the small courtyard. Another woman already sat at the table that Luis led Ashley to. She looked up immediately with a smile as they approached, and stood to welcome them.

Ashley greeted her and introduced herself, not knowing whether to bow or shake the woman's hand. Deciding to follow cultural norms, she bowed.

"Raissa Schneider," the woman said in English, but with a German accent. She bowed, herself, then held out her hand for a handshake. She definitely had a French name with a German surname. Perhaps one of her parents was French? Ashely grasped Raissa's hand; she looked maybe five or so years older than she was, or at least closer to thirty than twenty. Luis was similar. He seemed older than her as well, although that could have been in part due to his height. "And who is this?" Raissa cried out in joy. "He's adorable!" Knox sat at her feet, anticipating the love and attention that he was sure was coming.

It was likely that they were all part of the same program, to teach their native languages at the university. "This is Knox," Ashley replied, slipping the leash beneath her chair's leg so that Knox could go where he wanted and she didn't have to worry about him running off. "He ate my late class' homework today so I thought I'd bring him with me today to prevent any further damage." Raissa laughed, ducking her head, and sitting back at the table.

Ashely and Luis followed suit and unwrapped their respective lunches. Sure enough, Ashley learned that they were all part of the Young Traveler's Program, which was designed for young people across the world to travel to a different country and teach their native languages, which by default, promoted the travel industry and the sharing of cultures. There were dozens of Universities across the world that participated in the program. At Mushiyori University, there were also French, Italian, Russian, and Chinese teachers.

"So, Ashley," Raissa began, leaning over her sandwich. "How long have you been here, now? A few weeks?"

"About a week or two," Ashely replied, popping a grape into her mouth.

"What all have you done so far?"

That question stopped her. Truthfully, beyond helping Hiei get this prank started, she hadn't done anything. It was mildly embarrassing and she slowly admitted, "I haven't done a whole lot, yet, honestly."

"We'll you've got to get out there!" Luis immediately exclaimed, missing her embarrassment, thankfully, but making her jump at his sudden outburst. "They told you to make a list, right? Of everything you wanted to do while you were here? You still have that right?"

Ashley nodded, in between bites with her mouth full. "Use that and just start doing. Go places. See things. You're only here for one year, right?"

Ashley nodded again. "I've been here for eight months now," he continued. "Every weekend is full. I haven't really had a weekend off since I got here-"

"Except for that nasty sinus infection you had in January!" Raissa teased. Luis rolled his eyes, but the absolute smile Raissa shot him spoke volumes. Affection glittered in her eyes and Ashley realized almost immediately that they were together in some way.

"Yeah," Luis drew out the word, "but only because I caught it on a hike."

"How long have you been here, Raissa?" Ashley asked, turning away from Luis.

"Nine months. Came just before this _dummkopf_." Turning her full attention back to Ashley, Raissa continued, "But he's right. You're already down two weeks before you have to go back home. You've got to make the most of your time here otherwise you'll regret it when you go back. I didn't start exploring until maybe two months in, and I always wish I had more time." Her gorgeous red curls sparkled in the sunlight.

"What have you done? While you've been here, I mean."

Raissa thought about that, her eyes widening as she thought over her answer. "How do I even answer that, you know? There's so much. And you can do a lot of the local stuff on days where you get out early."

"Then what were your favorite things?"

"Well, I'm a huge anime fan, so the Ghibli museum was to die for."

"And I love history so going to the different castles has been really great. And hiking up Mount Hiei-" Ashley nearly snorted in humor at the name, but covered it with a cough, "when I got sick with Raissa was fun but she'll never admit it."

"Yeah, it was fun, especially watching you start to trip all over yourself. That's a sight I never get to see." She winked at Luis, joking with him at his expense. He made a show of being wounded at her words, but it was just that: a show.

* * *

Google was a wealth of knowledge.

Before traveling, Ashley had made a notebook full of all the places she wanted to travel to and see while she was in this part of the world, as the Young Traveler's Program had recommended. It hadn't even occurred to her yet, with everything else going on, to open the thing. Hiei and his whiplash decisions took up enough of her time, but already her first week was over and she hadn't even begun plotting her first trip.

Nara, Kyoto, Tokyo Tower, the Himeji Castle, Mount Fuji, Nikko National Park, Mount Koya, the beaches of Ishigaki, Hiroshima, Hida-Takayama, and so, so many more. Pages upon pages had been scrawled over in her little red pleather journal.

Ashley flipped through the pages, trying to get detailed information of how far away each place was with the assistance of her computer, how to get there, where to stay once she got there if it was far enough away. Within that, she plotted where everything was that she wanted to see at each individual place.

Her phone chimed and vibrated against the tabletop, making her jump and Knox's ears twitch. The little devil lay next to where she sat at the kontatsu on the ground. He looked so innocent lying there, back legs sprawled out behind him, but he was likely just plotting what to eat of her students' homework next.

It was Yukina. _-Hiei got a phone and asked me to give you his number.-_ His number was listed in the text message, which Ashley quickly plugged into her phone, knowing she would soon forget to do so.

Phone numbers… calling. _Isla!_

"Shit," Ashley swore, her accent giving the curse a delicate edge, glancing at the clock and remembering the promise to call that she had made to Isla nights ago. While it was only nine thirty in the morning in Tokyo - Ashley quickly did the math - it was one thirty in the morning in London. Before she forgot again, Ashley inputted the reminder in her phone to call Isla on Saturday before she went to bed. At least Isla had previously said whatever it was that she needed to talk to Ashley about wasn't urgent.

Once that was complete, she went back to Hiei's number and typed a quick text to him.

 _-This is Ashley; Yukina gave me your number.-_ Before hitting send, she added, _-Thank you!-_

At least he got the phone. Now they could properly plan and organize without Yukina catching on. She might still catch on; Ashley had a feeling she paid attention to things more than her polite demeanor let on.

Her phone buzzed. _-K-_ Well, at least Hiei knew _how_ to use a phone, however annoying the little one letter texts were. She hoped that wasn't how he texted all the time, but at least the letter had been capitalized.

She ignored it, letting her phone remind her again that the text was waiting to be answered two minutes later. Snapping the 'vibrate' button down on her phone, she went back to work. No point in being interrupted every two minutes by her phone trying to do a good job.

Placing her ear buds in her ears and turning on some music, Ashley got back to work. Before long it was obvious that she could go somewhere close by this weekend and make it a day trip. The Nikko National Park seemed promising. It was just a short bus ride out of the city.

A thought occurred to her at that moment as she looked at the screen and felt the possibility of this trip cementing in her mind. It was always more fun to go on a trip with friends. Yukina and Kuwabara were the obvious choices since she knew them, but as she picked up her phone and saw the single letter text, _-K-_ , from Hiei, she realized this would be a perfect opportunity to flex their prank out in the open.

Of course, with how easy conversation flowed between them, this could end up a catastrophe. Yukina and Kuwabara could catch on immediately that she and Hiei could barely tolerate one another, let alone hold a moving conversation that lasted more than five minutes.

Or, as she hoped, if it did end, perhaps it end in a laugh?

Rather than calling Yukina first, Ashley unlocked her phone with the text she'd received from Hiei and pressed the phone key to dial his number.

It rang three times before the she heard the phone knock against something, drop, and then a surly, "Yes?"

She braced herself. "Hi Hiei!"

He didn't seem to enjoy her bubbly energetic words and instead said, "What do you want?" in his brusque way.

"Well," Ashley began dramatically, knowing he wouldn't appreciate her enthusiasm at all, but it was too much fun not to tease him. "I'm planning a trip over to the Nikko National Park on Saturday, and I was thinking: if you really want to start this prank off why don't we plan an outing with Yukina and Kuwabara?"

He followed her idea immediately. "You mean go together and bring them along?"

Ashley nodded and then realized Hiei couldn't see her through the telephone. "Yes! We could go someplace else if you've been before, but I was just trying to plan out something that I hadn't seen yet. It'd just be a day trip, so nothing very long."

Although Ashely was curious if he'd even want to do it since he hadn't been very forthcoming regarding ideas at all, Hiei accepted rather immediately. "That's fine. Will you be telling Yukina?"

Ashley didn't ask what it was he was doing or how his day was going. She just wanted to give him the information and get off the phone. The less she had to struggle to try to hold this conversation the better. "I will. I'll call her next. I'll text you the information on Friday and where to meet and all that. Sound good?"

"Yes."

And again, he wasn't forthcoming with information, or a reply, or anything. Instead of letting it get to her, Ashley replied, still holding the chipper tone in her voice, "Okay, then, well have a great day! I'll talk to you Saturday!"

Hiei paused on the other line. For a moment, Ashley wasn't sure she'd get a response out of him. Maybe it was his way to just hang up without a goodbye.

Then, "You too."

The phone clicked, leaving Ashley with a dial tone.

Glancing at Knox from the corner of her eye, he was watching her, tongue lolling. "I feel like I've just made progress! Isn't that funny?"

 **-End of Chapter Five -**

* * *

 **I apologize for the lack of Hiei-fluff in this chapter. I'm super excited about next chapter because 98% will be from Hiei's point of view, and there will be FLUFF. So much Fluff. I'm excited. And it will be long, likely my longest yet. Writing from his POV is the best.**

 **On the topic of updates, after some thought, I'm going to be moving from updating every Sunday to every other Sunday. I had first thought I'd have this chapter out three days ago, but the past week has been busy, and the last three days have been so busy I'm convinced people think I don't need to sleep anymore. I have just gotten to the first hotel on my vacation. The airport didn't have any wifi to connect to during my two hour wait for my best friend, because of course they didn't, so I'm uploading this real quick before heading to bed. I don't want to try to write during this trip; I really just want to de-stress and relax. Next week when I get back I'm anticipating another flood of stress from catching up from work and helping Dad deal with the flooding he got with Hurricane Harvey. So, my next update will be on October 1, and I'll begin updating regularly again every two weeks from there.**

 **I'm really excited about chapter six, so to hold you guys over I've included a sneak peak of the chapter after my disclaimer down below. Thanks for being patient, guys. You all are the best.**

 ** _Pillock_ (English) means 'idiot' or 'fool.' _Dummkopf_ (German) means a stupid person, or blockhead.**

 **Thank you to WistfulSin, NarutoFallenAngel123, LadyEllesmere, aviellaford, and Guest for your lovely reviews! Each made my day! Again, I apologize for not replying to reviews; I hope to get that changed.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**

* * *

 **Sneak Peek - Chapter Six**

Hiei was where he was supposed to be at seven in the morning on Saturday. Ashley had texted him with a smiley face the day before. According to the fox, smiley faces were usually good signs from females. Smiley faces usually were used to ease tension, lighten the mood, show the other person meant well, or flirt. He doubted it was the latter.

For whatever reason, more than what he could fathom, the girl actually seemed excited about the prospect of helping him with this prank. Of course, he didn't quite care for her reason and neither did he ask, but it entertained him to see her so excited, even if her constant excitement was annoying. It was almost like being around Kuwabara, but he was on a different level of annoyance. Hiei couldn't put up with Kuwabara for too long. The girl, however, at least provided entertainment in her annoyance.

The morning, he knew, was a chilly one. It wasn't as if he never got cold. Certainly, he was aware of cold and could become cold, but on a chilly morning that was Saturday, it wasn't even a bother. For humans, however, They wore a layer or two, usually with sleeves and perhaps a scarf. So, Hiei had dressed in his usual black cloak and white scarf, if only for appearances' sake.

This world, especially in the last two years, had ceased it's good natured relations with demons. Almost everywhere demons tread these days was dangerous for them, even for demons, such as himself, who possessed strength that no human could ever fathom. If any demon were to fatally hurt a human at this point, whether on purpose or by self-defense, it would mean an all-out war. To be able to blend in with humans was a good thing. And although he hated that he could blend in, he did it out of necessity. The color of his eyes was usually the only thing that gave people pause around him, if they were to look up from their phones. Even the girl, whenever she saw him she would look at his eyes just a few moments too long, and then glance away, embarrassed. Crimson. The color of blood. The color wasn't natural among humans. _Different_ , they knew.

The state of the world as it was was something that he was working to ease, however he could.

He heard her coming before he turned. "Good morning," she said. Hiei turned to see Ashley holding a cup of tea between gloved hands.

"It's not that cold out here, you know." He observed, watching her. She was much more subdued than she had been last week. Hell, even earlier this week when he'd spoken to her on the phone she had been much more chipper. She glanced away from him for a moment, beyond his shoulder.

"I get cold easily," she replied. Her steel eyes held a defensiveness that he didn't try to cross. It was something that he always hated Kuwabara for doing when he felt less than pleased to deal with people. "It's easier to just bundle up now and remove layers later. But there's Yukina and Kuwabara," her face lit up, and even though she obviously tried to make it touch her eyes, it didn't quite work. "Let's try to get along today, shall we?"

She turned away from him, still clutching her tea and cried, "Yukina! Kuwabara!" They both greeted her; Kuwabara greeted her much more loudly than Hiei would have liked so early in the morning, but they were doing this because he wanted to get back at the oaf. The most he could do was be near, and try to play a convincing role. _Boyfriend_. Never thought he'd hear that word described towards him, even as false a statement as it was.


	6. Mostly Painless

Chapter Six

 _Mostly Painless_

Hiei was where he was supposed to be at seven in the morning on Saturday. Ashley had texted him with a smiley face the day before. According to the fox, smiley faces were usually good signs from females. Smiley faces usually were often used to ease tension, lighten the mood, show the other person meant well, or flirt. He doubted it was the latter.

For whatever reason, more than what he could fathom, the girl actually seemed excited about the prospect of helping him with this thing. Of course, he didn't quite care for her reason and neither did he ask, but it entertained him to see her so excited, even if her constant excitement was annoying. It was almost like being around Kuwabara, but the oaf occupied his own level of being annoying by himself. Hiei couldn't put up with Kuwabara for too long. The girl, however, at least provided entertainment in her annoyance.

The morning, he knew, was a chilly one. It wasn't as if he never got cold. Certainly, he was aware of cold and could become cold, but on the chilly morning that was Saturday, it wasn't even a bother for the fire demon. The humans, however, wore a layer or two, usually with sleeves and perhaps a scarf. So, Hiei had dressed in his usual black cloak and white scarf, if only for appearances' sake.

This world, especially in the last two years, had ceased it's good natured relations with demons. Almost everywhere demons tread these days was dangerous for them, even for demons, such as himself, who possessed such strength that no human could ever fathom. If any demon were to fatally hurt a human at this point, whether on purpose or by self-defense, it would mean an all-out war.

To be able to blend in with humans was a good thing, as much as he hated to admit it, and although he hated that he could blend in, he did so out of necessity. It was a conversation he could easily elude. The color of his eyes was usually the only thing that gave people pause around him. Even the girl, whenever she saw him she would look at his eyes just a few moments too long, and then glance away, embarrassed. Crimson. The color of blood. The color wasn't natural among humans. _Different_ , they knew.

The state of the world as it was was something that he was working to ease, however he could.

He heard her coming before he turned. "Good morning," she said. Hiei turned to see Ashley holding a cup of something between gloved hands, steam rising lazily from the lid.

"It's not that cold out here, you know." He observed, watching her. She was much more _subdued_ than she had been last week. Hell, even earlier this week when he'd spoken to her on the phone she had been much more chipper. She glanced away from him for a moment, beyond his shoulder.

"I get cold easily," she replied dryly. Her steel eyes held a defensiveness that he didn't try to cross. It was something that he always hated Kuwabara for doing when he felt less than pleased to deal with people. "It's easier to just bundle up now and remove layers later. But there's Yukina and Kuwabara/" Her expression lit up, and even though she obviously tried to hide her discomfort, wherever it came from, it didn't quite work. "Let's try to get along today, shall we?"

She turned away from him, still clutching her tea and cried, "Yukina! Kuwabara!" They both greeted her; Kuwabara greeted her much more loudly than Hiei would have liked for so early in the morning, but they were doing this because he wanted to get back at the oaf. The most he could do was be near, and at least try to play a convincing role. _Boyfriend_. Never thought he'd hear that word described toward him, even as false a statement as it was.

* * *

A bus was supposed to take them over to the national park. Yukina and Kuwabara had boarded first and sat in a pair of seats about halfway toward the back of the bus. Ashley took the lead and led Hiei back as well, sitting just opposite from where their friends sat, and hurried to sit, slipping on something and landing haphazardly in the seat in the process.

"Are you always this clumsy?" Hiei asked, his tone sharp. Mentally, he chided himself. The fox said he needed to speak more softly towards Ashley since she was technically his "girlfriend."

" _Try not to be so…_ " Kurama had said, trailing off and trying to find the right word to describe Hiei's manner of speaking. The fire demon had consulted Kurama for all this mess days ago. While Kurama hadn't had a great many romantic encounters towards demon or human, he had had more than Hiei.

Hiei had leveled his gaze at Kurama, daring him to speak out against his pride. " _Terse_." Kurama finally decided on the word.

Even though he didn't like it, Hiei couldn't argue with the fox.

Ashley, however, if she noticed Hiei's tone, didn't have any physical or emotional reaction. At any rate, she was the one to offer herself for whatever this was. She at least had an idea of what he was like. He shouldn't have to change for her idea of who he was, or anyone else's idea of what a relationship should be like.

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm clumsy, but I'm definitely not graceful," she snarked back, not looking up as she righted herself in her seat. "A fish out of water is more graceful than I am," she admitted.

The driver made some sort of announcement over the speakers of the bus as the final people boarded the vehicle and took their seats. In a moment, the doors hissed shut, locking them in and lurched forward as he began driving.

The sense of being _trapped_ was nearly overwhelming. Every one of his senses launched into overdrive at the same time that the bus pulled away from the curb. It wasn't as if he'd never been in a small moving automobile before. He certainly had, especially with Yukina as she adjusted to life in Human World. But having so many people around him, all talking and existing at the same time definitely set him on edge. The walls seemed to grow closer together, shrinking around him, and even though a window showed the world outside the bus rushing past on Ashley's other side, the world seemed to cave in on him. Having grown up and spending nearly all of his days in Demon World outside, those experiences had done nothing to prepare him for the cramped spaces that humans seemed to enjoy so much. He restrained the urge to rip himself out of the bus, and rush back to open sky and the safe cover of trees.

As if sensing his unease, Ashley tapped him on the shoulder, holding out one of her earbuds. Hiei merely stared at it, confused as to what Ashley wanted him to do with it. "Do you want to listen?"

Listen. Music. It was a past time that humans seemed to enjoy. He always saw someone with the devices in their ears, blocking out the world around them.

Watching Ashley place the left bud in her ear, Hiei followed, mimicking her motions and placing his bud in his right ear.

The effect wasn't loud or blaring, but rather a soft, playful melody that climbed higher and higher in an arching, hopeful, sweeping sound. There was only one instrument playing for him, and although Hiei had never seen one in person, he knew immediately that this was a piano that he listened to.

From the corner of his eye, Hiei watched the female scroll through the different tracks with her thumb, pausing on each one individually. At the end of the track they listened to, she selected the next one.

The following track was much slower and its notes much deeper, the emotion behind each note slowly staining through the melody like ink. Longing ripped through his soul, reminding him of-

Hiei quickly removed the earbud from his ear and held it back out to Ashley, preferring the anxiety the bus brought to reminders of _those_ memories that accompanied the emotion.

"We can listen to something else if you prefer," she murmured quietly, trying to be respectful to the other passengers on the bus. "I didn't think to ask, I'm sorry." She said quickly, taking the earbud but still searching through her music directory.

Hiei, instead, shook his head. "Don't bother," he muttered. Talking on a human train was never polite, and often frowned upon. Apparently not talking on any mode of public transportation was the preferred cultural norm. Even though they traveled by bus that day a few members of the older generations shot him a glare that clearly said, "Stop talking."

He obliged, and when he spared a glance down at Ashley, she had already placed the earbud in her right ear, but stared at something between them.

Silently following her gaze, he realized his sleeve had shifted, allowing her to glimpse at the Dragon of the Darkness Flame's markings along his skin.

To someone without any knowledge of what he was capable of or any knowledge of the dragon, the marking would look like one of the humans' tattoo sleeves: a dragon set against a smoky background.

A hint of panic slipped through his mind, making his stomach drop as he quickly pulled down his sleeve. No human could possibly know about that, except his human teammates or any human who had helped put together the Dark Tournament years ago when he had competed for the first time with Urameshi's team. As it were, he couldn't be too careful.

Ashley glanced up, meeting Hiei's gaze in question before turning away to lean on the window, gazing out at the blur of green and blue beyond it.

Hiei recognized that gaze immediately. It wasn't one he had ever seen her wear, of course, but her meaning behind it was clear that she would ask him about it later.

* * *

The ride was a short one from Tokyo to Nikko National Park. It was a place Hiei had heard of, definitely, but having gone there before? Never. Visiting the "must-see" places in Human World wasn't high on his priority list by any means. After buying entrance into the park, Ashley clutched a map between her hands as Yukina looked on and they discussed what to do first.

"Hiei!" Ashley called, glancing up and catching his eye. Unlike on the bus, and before, when it was just the two of them, Ashley's strange demeanor disappeared, leaving behind a curious, excited girl. For whatever reason she wore the mask for Yukina and Kuwabara, he didn't dare comment on it. "Do you have a preference what we do first?"

Why was she asking him? He remembered as soon as Kuwabara glanced up for his answer.

"I think this is both of your first times," Kuwabara muttered, scratching his head as he looked over the map in thought. "Yukina and I have been here before and the way we took back then seemed to do okay."

Ashley made a little noise of surprise. "You should have said something! I wanted this to be an adventure for all of us!"

"Well, it is fun for us to get to do things with you, so this was fine," Yukina stepped in, smiling softly towards Ashley.

Ashley merely offered a half smile, somewhat crooked in it's execution. "What path did you take last time?"

"Well, we did the waterfall first and then the shrine. We could do that again today, but I can't guarantee there won't be tourists."

"You realize I'm a tourist, don't you, Kuwabara?" Ashley asked with a laugh, and folded up the map into uneven squares to stick in the curve of her back pocket. "I don't think there's a way to avoid the other tourists that are here, though.

"Is that okay with you, Hiei?" Ashley asked, glancing back toward Hiei, who stood at the edge of their little group watching the crowd like a hawk.

"Whatever you prefer," he replied, about two steps up from growling the words. This didn't interest him at all; he was just here to get back at Kuwabara.

Kuwabara looked like he was holding back words that were painfully funny at the expense of Hiei. After noticing Yukina's pointed glare - a warning to her husband - Hiei decided he did not want to prod the oaf into spilling whatever it was that he was trying so hard to keep to himself.

"Well, why don't we go up to the waterfall first-" Ashley turned back to Yukina and Kuwabara, her words falling away.

The National Park was definitely out in the middle of a forest, with no urban life anywhere near the park, which both set him at ease, and increased his diligence in keeping an eye out. If any enemies were here, it would be easy to hide from him under the cover of a human tourist.

"You know, I want you to enjoy it, too," A gentle voice appeared next to him. She fell into step beside him. "Not just to 'fully convince' those two," she tipped her head forward in a small nod to the two leading them several feet away, "But also, if we're going to do this then we might as well enjoy ourselves anyway."

She didn't give him a chance to respond and immediately changed the subject, "So that guide I picked up at the entrance says that there are _monkeys_ out here."

He glanced sidelong at her. The way she said 'monkeys' held a gasp of awe in her voice, one that he couldn't tell was wonder or fear. The way she watched the edges of the forest around the little path, however, indicated it was the latter.

Hiei, however, saw an opportunity and took it. "You're not scared, are you?"

She shook her head vehemently. "Not at all!"

"Have you ever seen a monkey up close?" He asked, smirking at her nerves.

Her hesitation followed by a, "No?" was all the confirmation he needed.

"Was that a question or a statement?"

Ashley glared daggers at Hiei. It was almost as frightening as his glares toward Kuwabara when they were messing with each other. A laugh at her very non-threatening glare tried to bubble up to his lips, but he kept it inside. Oh, how she would hate him for that. "It was a statement," she covered instead, matter-of-factly.

Hiei was a few steps short of being convinced. Continuing to walk, he shot her a disapproving glance with a brow raised. She caught his look and rolled her eyes so hard, Hiei could have sworn they should have gotten stuck in the back of her skull.

"Look, okay, a zoo is probably the closest I've ever gotten to a real monkey." There it was. The answer that she'd been dancing around.

"Having never seen a monkey before is nothing to be ashamed of," Hiei said, taking in the forest around them. In truth, his eyes never stopped scanning the path and the area around them. Trees were so overgrown on either side that they made a sort of natural tunnel that barely allowed light from the sun above to filter through. Truth be told, it set him on edge, much like the bus did or any building without much of a window to the outside: it was another way to trap him, but more than that, it allowed camouflage in case anyone wanted to ambush them, and using the Jagan out in public in Human World was a great way to get jumped. However, the only beings that he sensed out there, even without the Jagan, were just normal creatures: some deer, squirrels, even curious monkeys.

Ashley didn't seem to notice that they should be expecting company until the closest creature landed on a tree branch next to her, causing the poor girl to stumble into him as a shriek of fright tore from her lips.

Gripping her shoulders on either side, Hiei gently grasped her and moved her off of him so she could stand on her own again, with a muttered, "Not clumsy, huh?" Her legs didn't seem to want to work, but she at least was able to stand when he released her. If a breeze came by, however, he wasn't sure that she wouldn't end up in a pile on the ground, but at least for now she was standing.

The monkey on the branch regarded them curiously.

"Well, you shouldn't be rude," Hiei finally ground out. Ashley jumped in surprise at his sudden words, which pushed Hiei closer to his frustration limit. Was the girl scared of literally everything? With a raise of her brows, he gestured to the monkey. "Say hello?"

Ashley turned back to the forest creature tentatively, but inched closer just the same. She moved slow as a snail, likely not to frighten the creature, or maybe so she wouldn't frighten herself. Five minutes passed and she had only just reached the monkey, reaching out a hand to try to _pet_ it. By this time, another had joined it's friend on the branch to ogle at Ashley as she ogled at them.

The urge to snap at the girl to hurry up filled him, the only thing stopping him being Kurama's words from three days prior. Instead, he ground his teeth in frustration, and let loose a little of his spiritual energy, if only to intimidate the girl a little.

Usually the effect was immediate. A cold sweat would break out on his foe's upper lip and the hairs on the back of their neck would stand at attention, sending the age-old instinct to the brain that something was wrong.

Ashley, however, if she noticed anything adverse around her, gave no indication of it.

Fully aware of his surroundings and Kuwabara and Yukina several hundred paces away - who would wonder what was going on if they suddenly felt any bit of his spiritual energy - Hiei let a little more loose. There was no way Ashley was this dense to anything spiritual.

He waited, three seconds, then five. Then fifteen. Finally after a full minute and all Ashley was doing was playing with the monkeys in delight, completely oblivious to Hiei's experiment, Hiei shut off his spiritual energy like one would shut off water at a tap.

No, Ashley was as clueless to anything relating to spiritual awareness as a rock would be.

* * *

The waterfall wasn't as magnificent as others he had seen in photos located around the world, but it was still a sight to be seen.

Truth be told, it was rather small and narrow, but it still reached maybe four hundred feet high, and they stood about in the center of it. A little outcrop had been built with a railing for tourists to take photos of themselves with the waterfall without anyone having to worry about taking a misstep and falling to their death. What a depressing vacation that would be. The stone outcrop was slick with spray, and a few people lost their footing, nearly taking an unexpected tumble when they weren't careful.

Ashley's mouth did not hang open like most of the tourists' did, but her eyes were as wide as saucepans as she took in the sight and the deafening roar of the water.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yukina and Kuwabara snapped a photo on Kuwabara's phone, using one of those ridiculous _selfie sticks_ as they called them. With a roll of his eyes, Hiei stepped up next to Ashley. "Want me to take your photo?" he asked, holding out his hand for her phone.

That brought her out of her reverie. "What?" she asked, turning toward him.

Trying not to huff, he repeated his question, but Ashley pulled at the skin around her thumb's cuticle thought. "Why don't we take one together?" she asked instead, pulling her phone out of her pocket and swiping for the camera. She turned her back away from the waterfall and wrapped a hand around his bicep, the gentle pressure of her hand a surprise, but not a terrible one. She held out the camera and framed the photo.

"You've got to smile," she chided, sneaking a glance at him from the side of her eye and a sly smile. Without warning, the camera clicked at the phone showed a copy of the photo for a moment before the image disappeared again. "That wasn't painful, was it?" she asked, her voice high and teasing.

"Only barely," he replied evenly, pulling away from her.

Yukina decided to approach, then, asking Ashley for a picture of the two of them together, so Hiei used that moment to slip away from the mindless chatter of the girls to an edge of the cliff that wasn't protected by the railing. No one dared come out over here, especially with the stone being so drenched, but it was here that Hiei found he was able to take a full breath again.

It filled his lungs, refreshing him and clearing his mind, until a familiar presence stepped up behind him.

"Having fun?" Kuwabara asked. The sheer height alone should make any humans' head spin. Kuwabara, however, was not any normal human.

Kuwabara's words pushed through Hiei's thoughts of freedom and fresh air. _Great._ Now he had to entertain the oaf while Yukina and Ashley did whatever it was that girls did when they were left to themselves.

"Yes," Hiei replied evenly, staring out at the forested hills and valleys in the distance.

"You sure?" Kuwabara asked. Hiei didn't bother turning toward him. Perhaps if he ignored Kuwabara he would go away. The most recent words they had shared back at the house still haunted Hiei's thoughts when he had nothing else to ponder on. "You seem a little… tense."

Hiei didn't move, letting the wind push against him. From this high up and the waterfall just feet away, a steady wind was constant and acted almost like a bully to anyone who was unsuspecting.

"What's your point?" he snapped, his patience wearing thin.

Kuwabara huffed, obviously broaching a subject that wasn't his idea to begin with. "Does Ashley know…?"

It clicked, then, what this was about. As much as he loved his sister, sometimes she went about getting information in a roundabout way. "About Yukina I don't know what she decides to divulge and what she doesn't," his words cut, aimed toward the oaf next to him and his frustration towards the situation, "but of me, certainly not."

"Do you think you'll tell her?"

A resolute, "No point for her to know," nearly slipped passed his lips, but he caught it before it could be fully formed.

"At some point, I'm sure," he said instead. "Now? No. We barely know each other."

Glancing back over his shoulder, Hiei could see Yukina and Ashley through the sparse lower branches of the trees that separated his little haven from the outcrop next to the waterfall. Yukina had stepped closer to the waterfall; Ashley remained where Hiei had left her and she stared straight through him, a question clear as day shining in her eyes.

"You know," Kuwabara said, bringing Hiei's attention back to him. "She's got demons as students. I think she'd take it pretty well. Plus, that'd be a great way for you two to break the ice."

It occurred to him, then, that everything that he and Ashley had been trying to convince Yukina and Kuwabara of hadn't actually been working yet. His sister and her husband still saw them as this strange pair that were still awkward around each other.

How right they were, but Hiei would never admit to such a thing. "I'll break you if you don't cease your mindless ramblings that you know nothing of."

Kuwabara pursed his lips, clearly taking the hint that he wasn't welcome in Hiei's presence any longer, and slipped back to the outcropping. From there, Hiei picked up on him greeting Yukina with a, "I tried."

Hiei, instead of pondering further on Yukina and Kuwabara, looked back over his shoulder at Ashley, who hadn't moved from her spot on the outcropping. The way she studied him when the waterfall was right behind her - the whole reason they had come out here in the first place - sent chills up his spine.

There were few moments he was truly nervous. _Afraid_ wasn't the right word, but _nervous_ was. Yes, he was nervous that she would find out he was a demon. This particular 'nervous' emotion was one he had never experienced before. He had always been proud to be a demon, but at this point if she knew, she would have power over him. And with the precarious position demons were in across the world, unable to defend themselves without sparking an all-out war, that was control that he was not ready to give her at all.

No, it was better for her to believe that he was like her.

Their staring contest reached an end when she decided to pick her way across the outcropping and step up next to him near the cliff. She still kept a good five feet away from the cliff, and therefore from him, but she had definitely lessened the distance between them, as she always seemed to try to do. Whether her intentions were to try to convince Kuwabara and Yukina or whether she wanted to be closer to him was on her own volition, both were a mystery.

"Do you enjoy brooding on cliff sides?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest against the slight chill that the persistent wind created. "You're very good at it, you know: _brooding_."

Hiei didn't bother turning back around to face his view as he would have if Yusuke, Kuwabara, or even Kurama were behind him. Instead, he remained motionless as the wind tore through his hair and pushed against him. Even Ashley, standing several feet away from the edge of the cliff, took half a step backwards to catch herself as the wind tried to knock her over.

Behind her, Kuwabara and Yukina watched them, speaking softly to one another.

Kurama had mentioned something about holding hands in Ashley's culture. Was it polite or impolite? Yes, they were in Japan where prolonged physical contact was frowned upon, but right then, at the waterfall, there were people from every corner of the world, all practicing their cultures of holding hands or walking together, or talking loudly. Right then, it didn't matter quite so much that they follow normal expectations of a couple in the Japanese culture. Especially since she was not from the Japanese culture originally, and neither was he.

He reached out a hand toward her, eyes probing her own, searching for what he could have sworn was suspicion against him. Did she know he was a demon?

When she hesitated, he quietly explained so that only she could hear, "They're watching."

With a sly grin just for him, Ashley took his hand and let him pull her up to him, their hands slick together from the waterfall's errant spray.

"You're not planning on pushing me off, are you?" the trembling words caught Hiei by surprise, so when he glanced up to check her expression, he was even more surprised to see her brow raised skeptically, the question only half a joke.

"Some people call me an ass," he said as he pulled her gently to him and gripped her hand tighter. Let the oaf chew on _that_. "But I won't let you fall."

"How can you be so confident?" Ashley said, laughing around her nerves. "You're human, too! And it's like a five hundred meter drop!" It was obvious she tried not to let him see her panic, but try as she might she wasn't as good at hiding her emotions as she clearly thought she was.

It was good she didn't think of him other than a human, and he tried not to let his relief show on his face. However, it could have just been a turn of phrase, to which he didn't let his guard drop at all. When Hiei caught Ashley's eye again, her steel blue eyes glimmered with an idea behind them.

Before he could convince himself he should ask, she turned away, trying to focus on anything except the sheer drop beneath her feet. "This is, um, quite peaceful."

The sarcasm was not lost on Hiei. He nearly choked on a snort. "With that attitude, I might just let you fall."

"You wouldn't dare!" Ashely raised a hand to her mouth, which had formed into a little 'o' in mock-shock.

At that moment, Kuwabara decided it was the opportune time to break the easy nature between them by yelling, "Hey! You two! Are you hungry yet? We can go grab lunch before heading to part two!"

Part two of the day was supposed to be the village and shrine, according to the little map that Ashley had been clutching all morning. But as they turned away from the cliff, Hiei stepping in front of her to take the lead, Ashley's hand slipped out of his as she lost her balance and her footing on the slick stone beneath her.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Six -**_

* * *

 **Thank you to WistfulSin and KHandFF7fanforever for reviewing! I always love to see what people thought of a chapter, so if you like it let me know!**

 **This chapter is definitely my longest since the first one. I originally thought it would be longer, but I've written about 80% of the chapter in the last two days even though I gave myself two and a half weeks to write it, so I decided to cut it short. But that means more cuteness than I originally planned will be in chapter seven! Also, chapter seven will be out on _October 15_. **

**If anyone is participating in NaNoWriMo this year, look me up! I'm username Olivia_wat928. On Dating a Demon will be my project during NaNo.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	7. The World Keeps Turning

Chapter Seven

 _The World Keeps Turning_

Adrenaline hit her veins and the world sharpened into acute focus as Ashley lost her balance on the rocks. Immediately her stomach plummeted the five hundred meters down the cliff as she knew, just _knew_ she was to follow it down.

But a hand wrapped itself around her forearm and pulled her back, stumbling, to the safety of the trees.

For a moment, all Ashley could do was focus on forcing the adrenaline back. _Deep breaths, focus on what you hear -_ She could hear the chatter of people and the roaring of the waterfall. _See_ \- The backs of her eyelids and the explosion of colored stars as her eyes were firmly shut. _Touch_ -

The adrenaline was slowly disappearing, leaving her feeling lightheaded and her legs shaking as she realized she was clutching Hiei's black robes, her face buried into his chest.

He had a very defined chest, and his pectorals were firm beneath her grip. It was in this moment of all moments that she was very aware that his hands rested rather awkwardly on her back, and although she had always been on the slimmer side, she realized she hadn't worked out in God knew how long and she was soft. Much softer than him.

She took another deep breath as she wrestled her sudden surprise and adrenaline-less haze back under control, and stepped backwards. Hiei's hands fell to his sides as she pulled away.

"Th-," she began, the words shaky form her tongue. "Thank you."

He watched her beneath an expression she didn't recognize, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "I'm alright," she said, more to herself than him as she glanced past him, back to Yukina and Kuwabara studying a map. They were oblivious at what almost happened; what _could have_ happened.

Ignoring the tears she suddenly felt trying to clog her throat, she steadied herself and announced, more sure: "I'm alright," even though between the adrenaline haze, shaking legs, and overwhelming emotion she felt, she was sure she was anything but okay.

Hiei didn't comment on it, but she was sure he could see every small emotion playing out on her face.

He fell into step just behind her as she moved past him to rejoin Yukina and Kuwabara. If they saw anything in her expression, they didn't say anything as they greeted the two and voiced what they were thinking for lunch.

Walking back down the mountain, Ashley was careful with each step, trying to convince her legs, which now felt like noodles, to work properly. Whereas going up the mountain had been a fun experience with the monkeys and getting to spend a little time with Hiei, going down her mind was stuck in a cyclical rendition of the experience that was almost her last. If she focused on it completely and blocked out the sights and sounds of everything else, she could put herself back in that moment: stepping away from the cliff to follow Hiei back to Kuwabara and Yukina, and finding the stone she stepped on slick with water spray and mildew. Losing her balance, the world seemed to drop from under her -

 _No._

Ashley refused to fall into that mindset. She could focus on it later when she was alone, but for now she could feel Yukina's worried gaze on her back and paused in her trek down the path so Yukina could catch up. Lacing her arm through Yukina's, she fell into step next to the girl. Kuwabara moved aside to let her join them.

"Are you okay?" Yukina asked, worry seeping into her voice. "You seem distant."

Ashley nodded. "I'm just…" she tried to find the right Japanese words for the situation. If she could speak in English it would be easy to describe what she was feeling. "Remembering something I'd rather forget," she said in English, trying to express herself. Yukina lifted a delicate brow. Ashley tried to find the words that were on the tip of her tongue. What she found wasn't quite _right_ , but they would have to do. "Caught up in my own head," she finally finished.

Yukina let out a sigh. "I've been there."

The rest of the day passed in a blur: one minute they were eating lunch, Ashley finding herself ravenous after the excitement of the morning, and the next they had spent the rest of the afternoon at the shrine. In no time at all it was closing time, and then they were back in Sarayashiki, the street lights painting yellow streaks across the pavement.

Yukina and Kuwabara said their goodbyes quickly, and headed home, both exhausted, but Ashley and Hiei remained in amiable silence.

Finally, Ashley spoke, "Thank you for saving me today."

Hiei merely snorted. "It was nothing. We can't have you dying, can we? What sort of _boyfriend_ would I be?" He said the word as if he wasn't quite used to it yet.

Any other night his sarcasm would invite her to rile him up in return. That night, however, with how exhausted she was, was not the night that she would rise to his bait.

"I'll see you soon?"

Her question hung in the air between them. Hiei's hands were shoved in his pockets as they usually were, and his face held an expression that was guarded. Whatever he was thinking, he didn't want her to know.

For whatever reason, she was hoping that she would see him soon. Whenever "soon" might be.

She thought he would respond in his usually dismissive way, or that he would chide her for being so sentimental, but neither of those things he responded with.

"Don't get killed on your walk home. I didn't save you for nothing."

He disappeared into the night, blending in with the darkness rather eerily, before Ashley turned and headed home too.

* * *

As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, the deadbolt fastened in place, the stress of the day and the emotions that she'd tried to keep at bay since her near-miss on the cliff, hit her like the waterfall they'd seen that day. Everything tumbled out: her fear, the adrenaline, trying to forget the traumatic experience enough to still enjoy herself, trying to keep a brave face to stave off everyone's questions as to why she was so distant. The weight of it all forced Ashley to her knees as her legs finally gave out beneath her.

Knox was on her in a minute, sniffing her and licking up the the tears as they streamed down her face. It was disgusting and interrupted the stress-cry, inducing a fit of giggles while Knox had the audacity to lick into her mouth, which only made the stress-cry turn into a laugh-cry.

They stayed like that for several minutes, the tears continuing to fall as Knox plopped himself on top of Ashley and forced her to pay attention to him. He truly was a gift. There was no way that Oliver could have known what a treasure Knox would turn into during her short time in Sarayashiki, but the intent of his gift was special.

And she hadn't even called him once during her time there.

First, though, she owed Isla a call. Last time they spoke, approximately two weeks prior, Isla had mentioned something weird going on with the House. Not bothering to move from her place on the door jamb, she dug her phone out of her back pocket, found Isla's face in her favorites, and pressed "dial."

Three rings. Five rings. Seven rings. The eighth would send the call to voice mail.

Instead, a very harried Isla picked up the phone and forced out a breathless, "Hello?"

That was odd that she hadn't even checked the caller ID. "Isla?" Ashley said in English. "Are you alright?"

"Ashley!" Isla exclaimed, finally putting together who was calling her. "I'm alright, but a squirrel has managed to lay waste to my grandmother's birthday party, and she's having a conniption. Can I call you back?"

Ashley couldn't help but laugh, picturing the old woman throwing insults at the squirrel who was likely terrified. She was one of those old British ladies who was strict to the old ways of how things used to be: manners, proper etiquette, women wearing hats and dresses, which spoon to use at tea time, everything. "Yes, please, call me back. I don't want to get in the way of Charlotte the Tank."

Isla, breathless, replied, "Thank you! I'll call you tomorrow or sometime."

With that, the phone clicked off, leaving Ashley with a good laugh and a dial tone. Still, that picture of Charlotte fighting with a mere squirrel sent her back into a fit of giggles, which also chased away the tears she'd cried from her experience with the cliff. All that was left was the stiff feeling of dried tears on her face.

Finally peeling herself off the floor of her flat, Ashley shuffled to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth. Once done, she fed Knox and settled onto her futon, phone in hand, to call Oliver.

Unlike Isla, Oliver picked up the line on the second ring, his tenor voice clear as a bell. "How's my favorite sister doing?"

Ashley nearly snorted. "Don't let Sophia hear that; she'll punch you in the face."

"Well, you're my favorite little-est sister. Does that count, then?" She could hear his smile through his voice. "Mother said you had a date today. How'd that go?"

Ashley heaved an exasperated sigh. "It wasn't a date," she countered quickly, trying to convince him. Once Oliver had an idea to use against her he'd run with it. All the teasing she endured by her brother during the past relationships of high school and college were proof of that. "I was just helping a friend."

"Uh-huh," Oliver drew out the word, like he didn't believe anything that Ashley said. She could bet money on that. She tried to hide the smile from her voice. She'd had a good time today, was all, but Oliver wouldn't believe that was why she was smiling for a second. "And you're being careful right? With your… _friend_?"

It didn't matter that Oliver didn't believe that she hadn't gone out on a date; they'd been so close growing up that he was her natural best friend, and blood besides that. He was the closest person to her in the world. Even before Isla and Sophia, who were closer in age. She had always had a bond with her brother. So what occurred to Ashley was what he asked of her. "What do you mean, 'am I being careful?' He's just a friend, Oll. It's not like we're having sex."

"No!" Oliver exclaimed, she knew he yanked the phone away from his ear with how far away his voice suddenly became. "That's not something you tell your brother. Tell Sophia if you want to tell anyone. I don't want to know. I'm talking about him. _Himself_." Ashley paused, trying to decipher where this was headed. Oliver picked up on her curiosity and continued, "Well, you can never be too sure these days, can you? Any ole' chap on the street could be one of them. You've got to be careful."

The only reason she picked up on the nearly imperceptible edge in his voice was because of how well she knew him. They'd shared everything growing up, except the intimate details of their respective relationships, of course. It turned her curiosity and set her on defense. "Careful of what?"

He asked his next question point-blank: "Is he a demon, Ashley?"

The question stole her breath and frazzled her mind. She stumbled over her words trying to get them out. "Why-? Why is that even a _question_?"

"You know it as well as I do, if you pay attention to the news anymore, or are you enjoying life over there so much that you've stopped noticing what's going on in the world?" Oliver's voice was clear and light over the phone as if they were discussing the weather, but her mind was spinning into overdrive. He sounded like he should be at the other end of a tunnel. "They're out to destroy us, Ashley, us and our very way of life. This isn't about "integration," or whatever they're calling it these days. It's a _conquering_ , and we need to make sure we fix this and get things back to the way it was before them."

There was a long pause on the line.

"Ashley?"

What were words? How to force these feelings into words that would make sense?

"Ashley?"

"I'm here," she replied quickly, the words tumbling out. "I'm quite at a loss of words right now, Oliver. I can't believe the nonsense that's coming out of your mouth."

"It's not nonsense." His words bit back at her. "It's the truth."

"Have you taken a good look a us humans, then, too?" Her hands shook as she held the phone, trying to force out all the feelings that had coiled around her heart at his hateful speech. "Are you holding us in your judgment? Because we're definitely not blameless. Just open a history book."

"That's beside the point."

"Like hell it is." This was too much. She couldn't deal with this, especially after nearly falling off that damn cliff today. "You need to check yourself, Oll. Anyway, I cannot talk about this right now. I had a great day, thanks for asking." She angled her words sharply, effectively cutting off that line of conversation.

"Alright, I get it! I won't say another word. Just keep your eyes open for your brother's peace of mind, please?" Her frustration boiled in her chest but she didn't reply, letting him pick up the conversation. "Where did you go?"

After that their conversation turned away from demons and ulterior motives and personal opinions on such things, and back to what Ashley had gotten up to that day. She told him all the little details, leaving out that she nearly slipped and fell to her untimely death, and that Hiei had somehow saved her.

While Oliver told her about the company and how things were doing - something about tension existing between some of their employees - Ashley's mind wandered back to Hiei. It wasn't as if she was ignoring Oliver, but after voicing his distasteful opinions, she didn't much care to hear about his side of the world right then. So she continued the conversation, if only to offer the occasional, "Oh?" or "uh-huh," or "Really?"

Instead, her mind drifted back to Hiei when he grabbed her forearm. How had he had the quick thinking to pull her back away from the cliff? In that situation her mind had just focused on the fact that she knew she was about to die. But not only had he pulled her back from the cliff, but he had known she was falling. He hadn't even been looking at her when it had happened. He was in front of her, leading her back to the safety of the trees when she'd lost her footing.

In half of a second he had not only known what was happening, but had the quick thinking to pull her away.

The feat by itself was astonishing. If it wasn't for him, she would not be sitting in her flat at that moment, Knox finishing up his dinner, and talking to her brother. A swell of gratitude filled her chest.

"Ashley? Did you hear what I asked you?" Oliver's voice broke through her thoughts, and quickly she feigned a yawn.

"Sorry, no," Ashley said through the yawn. "I'm so sorry, Oll; I'm falling asleep."

"I'm sure you are," Oliver replied, his voice laced with concern. "I'll let you go, but I'm glad you called."

Ashley smiled. "Me, too," she replied, not counting their earlier conversation regarding his skewed opinions of demons. "Have a good day."

Oliver's voice was smiling through his words. "And you sleep well."

* * *

The bar was easy enough to find. It was tucked in between two storefronts, one selling women's fashion, and the other a batteries shop. Definitely not the place Ashley would pin for a bar being located, but there it was.

It was definitely the chilliest day on record, and likely would be the last chilly day of the season until fall began, and Ashley had taken full advantage of it, wearing her favorite skinny jeans, military style boots, light sweater, and a casual olive jacket with a beanie as she briskly walked the streets of Sarayashiki, earbuds jammed in her ears. Nothing was even playing in her earbuds; she just didn't want to talk to anyone she didn't have to. Honestly, if Yukina hadn't asked her out to catch up she likely wouldn't have left her home at all and instead would have opted to re-reading Wuthering Heights for the umpteenth time and lighting some candles.

As it was, she was forcing herself to be social.

She followed in behind another couple, catching the door as they handed it off to her. It was was wooden and wrought with iron, making it heavy, and she struggled to get on the other side before it tried to crush her beneath its weight.

Inside, the room was darkly lit with heavy wooden tables placed every few feet and plush armchairs scattered about where they could fit. It reminded her of some of the mock-English bars that people tried to create, and it was fairly packed, with everyone from obvious humans who eyed the demons next to them with everything from casual indifference to disgust. Ashley pushed past the obvious discomfort in the room and made her way to the bar to order.

Yukina was easy enough to spot, her bright teal hair drawing Ashley's eyes like a beacon. She was perched atop a high chair, almost as if she was overlooking the bar.

Ashley slid into the seat opposite Yukina with a smile, and the young woman returned Ashley's greeting with a pleasant hello. "Did you already order?" Ashley asked, wrapping her hands around her own cup of tea. It would likely be the last hot drink she had before summer came full force.

Yukina nodded again. "I just got here a few minutes ago myself, but it's some sort of coffee drink. Something with Irish coffee, but the bartender said it would be good."

Irish coffee was always good; the bartender was a smart man.

They dissolved into light chatter as they caught up for the first time in weeks, and continued talking even when an employee brought out Yukina's drink to her. It had been nearly two weeks since they had visited Nikko National Park, and Ashley hadn't seen or heard from Hiei in that time. She voiced as much to Yukina, wondering if the young woman knew what she should do since she had known Hiei for a longer time than Ashley had.

Yukina laughed, stirring her drink. "That's just Hiei, really. He doesn't ever reach out unless he needs something. If you want to see him, you'll have to be the one to reach out."

Well. That was slightly frustrating.

Still, Ashley couldn't help the small smile that was tugging at her lips. How very _Hiei_ that was.

"You like him, don't you?"

The question whipped Ashley out of her thoughts and dropped her back in the present. Immediately, she started babbling, trying to get Yukina to believe the lie that was between them.

"I mean, he's great, don't get me wrong, and I do like him, but we're still early in our relationship-" The thought occurred to her then, that their relationship was a lie. Everything about it was just to get back at Kuwabara.

Ashley stopped short, and Yukina giggled, misreading her abruptness for contemplation.

She was contemplating things, but not what Yukina thought.

It was true; in the two weeks that it had been since she'd seen Hiei, she'd noticed a shift in herself. If her phone chimed she would secretly hope it was him, and she would often catch herself looking for his mass of black hair beyond the garden where she had stumbled upon him that day in the rain.

When Yukina asked that question, it was like the world stopped turning just a little. Their entire relationship was a prank. There was no way she could possibly be developing feelings for him. Especially after not having seen him for two weeks. That was ridiculous!

"It's okay," Yukina said, smiling into her drink, "You don't have to convince me. But if you want to see him again, try reaching out. It's the only way he'll act on any sort of feelings he has. He doesn't exactly wear his heart on his sleeve."

Ashley took a sip on her now-cold tea to hide the smile on her face. What she wanted to do in that moment was reach for her phone and send him a text. She could imagine his annoyance if she caught him at an inopportune moment. Oh, it was fun to get him rilled up. She was sure Yukina wouldn't mind, but she stayed her hand. That could wait. For now, she and Yukina were still catching up.

"So have you kissed yet?"

Ashley just about spat out her drink in shock and embarrassment and instead ended up choking on it as it went down.

"Okay," Ashley began, when she finally collected herself again. "Enough about me. How are you and how's Kuwabara doing?"

They continued talking until all but a few patrons remained. By the time they next took a break in their conversation and Ashley checked her watch, it was nearly nine. It was then that Yukina realized she needed to be getting home, and they pulled on their coats to brace for the cold air outside.

"Don't say anything," Yukina's sudden words were like ice, stopping Ashley's hand from zipping up her jacket. Glancing over at the woman, Ashley had never seen her eyes quite so hard, or her posture so tense.

"Yukina, what?" But Yukina didn't need to answer. It was then that Ashley heard the words for herself.

"- Just pieces of shit; that's _all_ you guys are!"

The bartender tried to calm down the commotion, but the guy at the back just talked over him, jabbing his finger into the personal space of another person: a demon with horns peeking out from beneath his navy hair with honey eyes and his nose like a snake.

The demon shook his head and looked back at his partner who sat with him, a young human woman by the looks of her: hair black as midnight, brown eyes, of medium height and build. She was most likely Ashley's age, and she glared at the human male who was hurtling insults at her partner with malice.

"Why don't you just mind your own business? We're just having a drink, same as you!"

Her navy-haired partner tried to calm her down as the human male laid into them again, the bartender finally having jumped the bar and grabbed him, struggling to push him away from the situation.

A slight pressure on Ashley's arm made her jump. Yukina had placed her hand on Ashley's arm to get her attention.

"Let's just go."

Once they were outside, Yukina breathing deeply, Ashley asked. "Are you okay?"

Yukina didn't meet her gaze, instead her eyes lost their focus as she remembered something from a time past. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice light again. Surely Ashley had not been imagining the ice that laced her words inside the bar. She looked conflicted, some concern playing across her face. "Are _you_ okay?"

Well, that seemed like a loaded question if there ever was one. Why would Yukina feel the need to ask if Ashley was okay? She hadn't been nearly as affected by what went on inside the bar as Yukina seemed to have been.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied carefully, not sure where Yukina was leading with this, but Yukina's face cleared instantly. "Is Kuwabara going to come pick you up, or can I walk you home?"

"No, I'll walk by myself, thank you. The air is nice tonight, and I need some time to think anyway." There it was again, that concern that Yukina was trying so hard to hide from Ashley. She wanted to ask her friend what was going on, but it was late now, and they were parting ways. She made a note to ask her the next time she got her alone again. Ashley doubted Yukina would tell her now, even if she asked.

"Okay, but let me know when you get home, alright?" Yukina nodded, but before she could turn away, Ashley said, "I had fun; let's do this again some time."

Yukina agreed and parted ways from Ashley, walking in the opposite direction.

Ashley got two blocks down the street when she realized now was the perfect opportunity to text Hiei.

Her heart did back flips as she typed out her message, and she tried to convince herself that she was just curious as to what his answer would be. She hoped he would say yes, but he could always say no, too.

 _-Do you want to get dinner tomorrow?-_

Still, her thumb hovered over the "send" button as she tried to gain the courage to press it.

As far as she knew they were still in this strange prank of a relationship and in whatever way they could get back at Kuwabara, she was sure Hiei would say yes.

Finally, she took a deep breath and pressed "send," clicking off her phone and pocketing it to avoid checking it every thirty seconds until he replied back.

Just as she was unlocking her front door, twenty minutes later, having come to the disappointing conclusion that she wouldn't hear back from Hiei that night, her phone chimed.

The deadbolt clicked into place as she checked her phone and read his response.

 ** _\- End of Chapter Seven -_**

* * *

 **This has definitely been the easiest chapter to write, as I wrote about 3,500 words of it today, but I think it's getting easier because more of the main plot points are coming into play. I hope you all are enjoying it as much as I am writing it. Please let me know if you are!**

 **Next update will be on October 29, and then on either October 30 or 31st I have a little Halloween-inspired drabble that I'll be publishing under a separate title, "We Are Gods." Then from November 1 through November 30 I will not be updating at all as I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month. I'll be focusing on that during the month of November so no updates will come, but in December I will be posting one chapter every Sunday to make up for my month-long absence. If you're planning on participating in NaNoWriMo as well, add me as a buddy and I'll add you back! My username is: Olivia_wat928.**

 **Thank you to _WistfulSin_ and _ZeroDarkNex14_ for your reviews and _destinyswindow_ for your lovely comments.**


	8. A Watchful Eye

Chapter Eight

 _A Watchful Eye_

The phone chimed, loud an unwelcome on the silent-as-death grounds of the castle that towered over Yusuke and Hiei like a foreboding metaphor. A murder of crows took flight at the sudden notification. The sound of their wings flapping through the air and their cawing rose the hairs on the back of Hiei's neck.

Quickly, Hiei fumbled with the small device, trying to shut off the chimer, but the damage had been done. The phone's chime gave away their location. It wasn't like they were trying to be sneaky or anything.

Even so, their target didn't move. It seemed she had somehow missed the chime that shattered the silence around them like a foghorn in the night.

"Oh!" Yusuke crooned, drawing the word out in jest.

Hiei immediately snapped at him to keep his voice down, but Yusuke ignored his demon counterpart. "She wants to have dinner!" Yusuke must have suddenly realized he was being loud because he immediately dropped his voice. "You're going to go, right?"

The screen shone like a beacon in the night, Ashley's text standing out against the light: _-Do you want to get dinner tomorrow?-_ Why the girl insisted on spending time with him was beyond what he could imagine. She, herself, was barely tolerable. The fact that they were doing this prank to get back at Kuwabara gave her points, sure, but humans, for the most part, minus a few particular people he had grown close to over the years, were not worth his time.

Another text came in soon after, a notification sliding down from the top of his screen with a short vibration. _-I'd love to see you!-_ A bristle of frustration passed over him. Most likely she was teasing him to get a rise out of him. It was working; she always seemed to know how to get under his skin.

Kurama kept saying that the way to be polite with humans was to reply to such messages as soon as possible so the other person would not think less of them. Still, trying to navigate human world social cues and remember all the little nuances was taxing.

Keeping his Jagan focused on their target, he quickly typed out a response. Short and sweet.

 _-Sure. Friday works.-_ Knowing her, Ashley would carry the conversation in making the plans and he wouldn't have to put too much effort into this, especially with Kameko within reach.

Hiei didn't bother to respond to Yusuke, who got his answer from reading over Hiei's shoulder. Although the fire demon had had a growth spurt a few years back, Urameshi still had a good few inches on him.

A beat of silence passed, then: "You're doing this to get back at Kuwabara, aren't you?"

With this, Hiei spun on Yusuke, fully expecting the human to tease him further about Kuwabara. The two of them had never gotten along in the same way that Hiei and Kurama or even Yusuke seemed to. Of course, there was always that chance that Yusuke told Kuwabara. He hadn't done it in years: stirred up drama with Kuwabara just for the sake of drama, and it took Hiei a few extra moments to realize this wasn't something that Yusuke would poke and prod at at Hiei's expense.

"Stop worrying!" Yusuke conceded, holding his hands up in surrender. "I won't say anything to him. But she wants to have dinner right? Are you going to go?"

The glare that Hiei shot Yusuke could have melted the young man where he stood. "Hey! I learned a few tricks from my old girl!" Yusuke crowed in laughter.

"Careful, Urameshi," Hiei said, turning away from Yusuke's antics. "If she hears you saying that, those words will likely be your last."

Hiei really hadn't spent a lot of time around Keiko one-on-one, but with Yusuke practically glued to the girl's hip since he returned to Human World after the Makai Tournament five and a half years previously, it was hard not to know Keiko at least in an acquaintance sense. She was practical, and often took out the frustration she felt towards her significant other in a comical fashion, which endeared her to him at least in some small way.

Yusuke muttered a, "Yeah, you're probably right," while scratching the back of his neck in that way that was so Yusuke.

Once Hiei locked and pocketed the phone again, he turned back to the task at hand. For the last two years he'd been tracking the remaining members of the Shono Legion, the rebels who had overthrown and killed the last Makai Tournament winner. Of course, Takayo hadn't been the smartest ruler either, and had let down her guard as soon as she won and became Demon World's second King. While it was probably for the best long-term, as she wasn't the smartest he'd ever met, Hiei at least recognized there needed to be rules in place for the new system of governing to work in Demon World. It was especially important for it to be enforced since the barrier between Human World and Demon World was now down and demons of acceptable strength were able to pass through to live a peaceful life in Human World.

Two months after the assassination, however, an A-class demon was found in human world without the proper documentation. A week later, ten more were found as well as a handful of S-class. A month after that there were so many demons that had passed through the barrier, all of varying classes and strength levels, that it had become an issue to keep track of them all and keep incidents from arising with the humans. As a result, tensions began rising in Human World and there were disturbances throughout Demon World, as well. The most concerning of all was that there were rumors that Shono's ambitions had turned towards Human World.

Koenma had requested aid once they learned about the hundreds of rogue demons in Human World. Hiei had been the one to be dispatched, since he was the only one of the original Urameshi Spirit Detective team to still be working actively for Demon World's interests. And he was the most capable to handle the situation besides that.

When Hiei had come for Shono, most of the Legion had escaped to Human World, scattering like dust to the wind, leaving their leader unprotected and left to defend for himself. Now, all that remained since Hiei had installed the second Makai Tournament's runner up to the throne, Koji, was to track down the remaining members of the Legion, one at a time, and make sure this situation didn't happen again.

The double benefit that came from tracking them down was hopefully soothing the tensions that were at a breaking point in Human World. Most of the unrest that was currently felt could be traced back to the Shono Legion's purposeful prodding.

Currently, they were tracking Kameko, the Legion's main spy, who was most adept at her job and the hardest to track down. The Jagan could pick up Kameko's location, almost to the exact square footage now that he was within range of her, but this castle had old magick that remained on the grounds and hidden in the walls - from when magick reigned in the world - and it clashed with his Jagan. The magick swirled in his brain like the fog that crept between the trees in the afternoon light. The sensation made thinking straight difficult. Yes, it really was a perfect location for anyone searching for refuge who didn't want to be found.

Not to mention Kameko had evasive powers of her own that made tracking her difficult.

Hiei felt the device vibrate against his leg. Once more, and with a huff of frustration, he dug the phone back out of his pocket. Ashley again. _-7 okay? I'm thinking The Ramen Shoppe. I've heard it's good?-_

Hiei just about scoffed aloud. Again with the social nuances. Again, he'd have to answer her. Unlocking it, he quickly typed, _-See you then-,_ and pocketed the phone once more.

Usually, Hiei could use the Jagan like a sixth sense. It was part of him, and as soon as it picked up on something he knew it to be true. When Kameko moved locations this time, however, he was slow in registering the action.

"She's on the move!" He barked aloud, cursing the magick that slowed him down.

Immediately, he disappeared as Yusuke ran into the castle itself to take the slower way. Hiei jumped onto the nearest tower of the centuries-old building, and jumped from tower to tower, trying to gain vertical distance. She was in the rafters -

Hiei broke through one of the old windows, glass shattering around him as he landed inside the old castle and somersaulted, momentum sending him flying.

He was back on his feet in an instant and flitting from room to room searching for Kameko. She hadn't left the castle yet.

The castle was dark - even with it being afternoon outside - and musty. No human life had inhabited the castle in likely centuries. Yes, there were a few ashy areas where a vagabond or two had come and used the castle as shelter for a time, some graffiti on an old, crumbling brick wall, and trash strewn about, but the rooms themselves were empty of life.

Kameko was a master of the shadows, not only being able to control the darkness like an extension of herself, but was able to disappear within their depths and move within the darkness. Inside a castle such as this, it would be heaven for her.

Shadows clung to every corner in every room and passageway. The windows, while some had been boarded up, most had the late afternoon sun filtering in through the broken glass or shutters. The shadows were long within the rooms.

So when Kameko appeared out of nowhere, while it caught Hiei off-guard, it didn't surprise him.

Shadows swirled around her as she reappeared, her red hair a streak through the darkness, and her wakizashi swept up his arm before he could fully bring it up to defend himself.

He grunted in pain, but still tried to aim a blow at her. She disappeared again, the shadows swallowing her.

The next time Hiei found her he'd heard Yusuke yell, "Try it again, bitch!" and something heavy collided with a wall. Hiei followed the sound, disappearing from where he was to reappear within the room the sound came from. Sure enough, Yusuke had attempted to throw a right-hook at her, but all that had accomplished was his fist lodging itself into the stone wall. The stone crumbled as he turned, but it wasn't quick enough.

Hiei lunged as he realized what was about to happen, but before he could reach Yusuke, Kameko's blade had cut across the back of Yusuke's legs.

Ungracefully, he collapsed onto the floor with a yowl, the muscles in his calves severed.

Hiei met Kameko's blade with his own, sparks flying as he pushed her back. He tried again, trying to aim another blow to her head, which she blocked.

Through their power struggle of trying to gain the upper hand over the other, Hiei realized that Kameko's eyes, sharp and icy blue, hidden under her blaze of hair, smirked. Her lips pulled up and she disappeared from where she stood.

 _Literally fucking disappeared._

She reappeared just a few paces away. Far enough that she couldn't be reached by Hiei's blade without him running.

Over the years, mostly from surviving on his own for so long in Demon World, he'd learned to school his face so he was free from showing any emotion, any weakness, to potential enemies.

So when she laughed, he knew Yusuke's face must have betrayed what was going through his mind. Which was likely similar to what Hiei was currently feeling: _What the absolute fuck?_

"Oh, Jaganashi, don't you know?" She smirked at him, knowing she had the advantage here. She didn't bother even looking at Yusuke; Kameko only had eyes for Hiei. "The human's magick works wonders on us. Or at least, _some_ of us."

"What the fuck do you mean?" Hiei snarled, feeling his blood run down his arm and spread onto the hilt of his katana. It stuck to him, clinging.

"It means, young one, that I can be here," she disappeared from view in front of him, and reappeared a few steps away. "And then I can be here."

He might have thought she'd increased her speed, but the Jagan stopped reading her signature completely. It was like she'd disappeared from the earth. Which wasn't _possible_.

Demons could have speed - hell, he had it. Demons could use their power to lurk in the flames or shadows, or move on the wind as that kid, Jin, did. But they couldn't fucking disappear completely.

"You're lying. There's no way that's true!" Yusuke yelled from his pathetic position on the floor. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the tell-tale position of Yusuke's hand behind his knee. Hiei just had to keep her talking.

"Oh, it is. Just the same that our energy will often bring out abilities in the humans, their magick does similar things to _us_. It goes both ways."

She was correct on at least one of those points: it was common knowledge that humans who were connected to the spiritual or supernatural world often had abilities brought out that would otherwise remain dormant when exposed to either humans with large spiritual energies or demons of similar ilk.

However the second point, the fact that the humans' magick brought out abnormal abilities in demons was something he had yet to come across.

The thought crossed his mind that Genkai should be made aware of this new information. She could figure out whether or not it was true. Hiei growled, "Kameko, how many others are there?" He tried to keep her talking, as he worked to formulate a plan to trap her here with this new knowledge.

Her eyes glinted in the light streaming in from the windows. "Wouldn't you like to know? And besides, my name isn't Kameko anymore. I like 'Dion' much better."

Hiei had heard of demons going by a different names once they got to Human World and found a culture or a name they liked. For Kameko to do it, however, there had to be a reason behind it. She never did anything without a reason.

Kameko, or Dion, or whatever her name was these days, pulled a little electronic device from her pocket, the screen glowing brightly.

Immediately Hiei recognized the little text bubbles that had appeared on his screen from Ashley's string of messages. He didn't even need to see her name at the top of the phone to know they were hers.

"Now, I must ask," Dion said, her voice musical. "Who is this lovely child?"

Hiei's grip tightened on his katana's hilt prepared for the moment when Dion's attention wandered elsewhere. Screw Yusuke. If he didn't get that spirit gun activated and working soon he'd take matters into his own hands.

"How did you get that?" Hiei growled, his voice low.

Dion's lips stretched over her teeth in a smirk. "Be careful of the shadows, Jaganashi. We're watching you. And you will _pay_ for what you've done."

Shono. She meant killing Shono, he knew, but she didn't need to drag Ashley into this mess. All this had started long before her.

Yusuke didn't waste any time. "SPIRIT GUN!" He yelled, shooting the mass of spiritual energy at Dion at the same time Hiei disappeared from view, trying to move to get behind her before she could move into the shadows again.

As soon as the energy was let lose from Yusuke's hand, however, Dion didn't turn into shadow as she usually did.

She disappeared completely.

The blast cleared through the place she used to stand, and out the opposite wall of the castle, leveling the stone and wood.

As it cleared, the Jagan failed to pick up on her demon energy at all, until she popped up a hundred miles from the castle, down to the south.

She'd even taken his phone with her.

"Well, shit." Yusuke cursed from his place on the floor, a fist punching through the floor. "Why the fuck didn't you lock your phone?"

Yusuke's voice echoed in the cavernous space.

Hiei gripped his katana tighter, and barely turned to glare at Yusuke.

Fuck, this was a mess. This wasn't supposed to happen. Ashley wasn't supposed to get drug into this mess. This was exactly why he'd refrained from seeking out a partner.

Every time his thoughts wandered back to the image of Dion holding his phone, that smirk playing on her face as she essentially held Ashley in her hands, his stomach rolled, and his anger intensified.

* * *

Hiei had once heard humans identifying a day of bad luck as saying, "It must be a full moon!"

Today was the first time he had used that phrase, even if it was only in his head.

He leaned against the wall near the doorway, boots crossed at the ankle, arms crossed against his chest, listening to the discussions that were currently overlapping in Yukina's house.

As soon as Dion had slipped away, Hiei had helped Yusuke back to Yukina, where she healed his legs and he told her the whole story about what had happened with Dion. Or, more specifically, what she had threatened. Kurama even showed up at one point, mentioning that Kuwabara had texted him.

That was just like the oaf. Call in Kurama when he thought something had happened to get the team back together. They hadn't been an official "team" in years. Friends, yes. Team? No. They all had their own lives now. Yusuke had retired as Spirit Detective after the first Makai Tournament. Kurama had joined his step-father's company. Kuwabara had pursued higher education and married Yukina to start a life of their own. Him? He'd been in employ of Mukuro for a few years after the first Makai Tournament, including a stint in the border patrol at the barrier, and then got tangled in the Shono Legion mess since Takayo was killed.

As Kuwabara filled in Kurama of what had transpired, Yusuke and Yukina listened, Yukina hearing it for the second time, Yusuke reliving it for a third as Yukina healed the muscles in his legs.

"We're not going to let anything happen to Ashley, Hiei! You best believe it!" Kuwabara finally finished, turning to the fire demon.

While his concern was a good reminder that he had Hiei's back no matter what happened, it was also annoying and snapped at his patience. "Don't bother concerning yourself with this. This is my problem. I'll handle it."

"Oh stop that. You've been doing that whole, 'shoulder-my-own-problems' for nearly a decade, Hiei. We're in this together, and we'll help you."

Kuwabara really was one for the over-dramatic, "we'll save you" type persona. Hiei, however, was not impressed. Not even after dealing with it for ten years. He was really the main reason he'd gotten into this faux-relationship with Ashley in the first place and had subsequently dragged her into this mess. Kuwabara, for all his intentions, was not the person that Hiei was going to let pull him out of this mess.

But he couldn't say that. Instead, a sharp, "No," came out. The word was sharp enough to cut through the chatter and end the conversation. "I'll take care of it." The subject was closed. Kuwabara tried to object, but Hiei shot him a glare, silencing his protests.

He turned to go, to leave this little meet up, but Yukina spoke. "Hiei, if you'll just wait, I'll heal your arm!"

At that moment, however, he didn't want to wait. He didn't want to be in this tiny room with all these people any longer than was necessary. If it was anyone else he would ignore them and leave. As it was Yukina who spoke, who sounded as distressed as she looked, he grumbled a reply, "I'll heal fine. And I'll handle this. I've dealt with Kameko - Dion, whatever the fuck she's calling herself - for years. It'll be handled and Ashley won't have to know about any of it."

"She deserves to know what she's getting herself into." Yusuke finally said, his voice firm. The hard glint in his eye told Hiei that Yusuke remembered their relationship wasn't real. His words were for her safety only. She still deserved to know, even if they weren't romantically involved.

Hiei couldn't find an easy way to reply. Not in front of Kuwabara. Instead, he turned on his heel and trudged out, ignoring Kurama's attempts to catch his eye.

If the fox had something to say he knew how to find him.

* * *

She really wasn't very interesting.

From the third floor, where Ashley's apartment was located, there was a tree outside where Hiei could settle in and watch over her. So settle in he did.

He watched as she walked the strange-looking dog that lived with her. He watched as she slept for nine hours. He looked away as she changed clothes - _did she never close her blinds?_

He followed her to work, and then to a park where she settled on a blanket, opened a book, and read.

And she read.

And read.

And read.

It was easily the most boring surveillance he'd ever done.

The sun had begun to slip low in the sky by the time Ashley finally began to stir. She dog-eared the page she was on and set the book aside, not bothering to close it. The movement caught Hiei's attention, and he watched as she rose to her feet and wandered over to a nearby couple lounging on a blanket. She stayed at their blanket for a moment, exchanging a few words and a laugh - something about asking them to watch her things - and then walked on over to a squat little building, disappearing inside.

She was gone for a minute. Two. Four.

The couple didn't really look back over to Ashley's blanket and book, their eyes only on each other.

As Hiei waited, he wanted to rush into the building and make sure Ashley was alright, but he didn't pick up on Dion's demon energy, or anyone else's for that matter. No one seemed to be around that could harm her, but they could show up at any moment.

The desire that focused his mind on her book, however, the pages threatening to turn in the breeze, was to take a look at what was inside the book. What had grabbed her attention so thoroughly for so long?

Another minute passed. The couple still hadn't taken a look toward Ashley's belongings.

Watching the door of the building warily, Hiei dropped to the ground and flashed over to her belongings.

He kept one eye on the building, waiting for the door to open as he bent down and took the book in his calloused hands.

Hiei knew what a book was. Kuwabara used them a lot when he was studying, and Kurama nearly always had one on him when he was passing as human, so the little thing packed with sheets of paper was not a foreign object to him. He did realize, though, as he flipped through the pages, that all the pages held the same foreign little letters he didn't recognize. He knew what English looked like, and the characters reminded him of the few words he'd come across in English, but the language was foreign and unreadable. Not that he'd ever learned to read anyway, but it might have been nice to be able to decipher what had held Ashley's attention so aptly all afternoon.

The door to the squat building was pushed open. Before it could even crack, Hiei fled her blanket back to the safety of the trees, leaving the book open on the blanket.

Ashley didn't sit, though, when she returned to her spot. Instead, she took the book in her hand, fingering a page delicately.

It was in that moment that he realized the dog-eared page she had left the book open to had been lost beneath the other pages as he'd flipped through it.

He could see her pause, the thoughts working through her mind, and he stiffened as she raised her gaze to the trees. From where he sat, even though she didn't look right at him, he could see the curiosity behind her gaze.

* * *

Hiei followed Ashley home to drop off her things. He followed her to the train, and then followed her as she walked the streets of Sarayashiki to _The Ramen Shoppe_ , as they had decided.

Just as she turned the corner of the street that the little shack sat on, he sped ahead and dropped back to the cement, forcing himself to walk on the ground as he pretended he'd been traveling to the shop himself.

The smile that broke out on Ashley's face as she made eye contact with him was like a light coming on. She glowed.

"Hiei!" She called, raising a hand in greeting.

She was an enigma. And she was in danger. The Shono Legion would find her, and they would snuff her light out because of his past actions.

All because she texted him at the wrong time.

His annoyance toward the girl grew, and he shoved his hands in his pockets.

She noticed his mood immediately. "Rough day, huh?" She didn't try to close the distance between them, but rather kept a respectful distance away. The heat that rose to her cheeks when she looked at him suggested something different, however.

Hiei barely noticed. Scoffing, he replied, "I've had better."

"Have you eaten, yet?" Ashley asked, but she seemed to realize what she just asked immediately. "Sorry. I guess you wouldn't be here if you had. But I guess you could also just be humoring me." She was babbling, and her cheeks were growing pinker and pinker with each unnecessary word. Finally, she just sighed and looked back up at him beneath her lashes. "Please ignore me."

Beneath his breath he chuckled. At least she knew when to shut up. He nodded towards the shop, the lights strung out on the awning twinkling in the night. "Come on. We're here, aren't we?"

Dinner passed fairly simply. The whole evening Hiei had one ear on the shop around them, and the other on Ashley. Around humans, the Jagan was too noticeable to use, so he had to rely on his senses alone. Dion definitely knew that Hiei was supposed to see Ashley tonight. It was only a matter of time before she showed up.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ashley asked next to his left elbow. She'd been eating, but not much was gone from her Ramen quite yet. Hiei had barely touched his, his mind elsewhere as he made sure no one would harm them that night.

His gaze slid to hers. It seemed she was observant after all.

"Fine," he replied, picking up his chopsticks again.

He took another bite to create the illusion that he was actually enjoying himself. "You were talking about Yukina?"

He was listening, but mostly letting her guide the conversation, as she usually did around him.

"Well I was, but we can change the subject if you prefer. Or we can just head back. You've barely touched your food."

She sounded disappointed, but Hiei didn't think too much of it. However, seeing an exit, he took advantage of the opportunity.

"Let's head back, then." He called for two to-go containers. While they packed up their food he watched her eye him.

"You seem really distracted. Do you want to talk about it?"

She was kind, he'd give her that. But he was never one to open up about his feelings. That was the kind of shit Kuwabara always encouraged him to do.

"No." He replied. One word. He tried not to make it sound too harsh, but she still looked like she'd been kicked. Oh well. This would all be over soon.

As they exited the Ramen Shoppe, Ashley stepped away, toward the direction that her apartment complex was. Hiei, for a brief moment, entertained the idea to walk her home. He quickly decided against it; he knew it was best not to give her that kind of hope.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked, though, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Tomorrow? "No. What are you talking about?"

She sighed, lifting her eyes to the sky above. The stars above were barely visible, he knew. Their light drowned out by the city's lights. He also wondered, briefly, if she'd ever seen the stars outside of a city. The first time he had ever seen them in human world had taken his breath away.

Sucking in a breath, she replied evenly, obviously trying to control her frustration. "What I was talking about inside. Yukina invited us to the festival tomorrow. I texted you about it, too. Didn't you get it?"

Hiei's stomach dropped.

She'd texted him.

Dion.

It was sudden and disorienting the way that the world tightened in on him. It was like being trapped on that bus again. It was like he couldn't quite breathe.

At this rate, she'd never be safe from this mess she'd unknowingly stumbled into. The mess _he'd let her_ stumble into.

Screw the prank. Screw Kuwabara. Fuck this "prank" they were engaged in.

"Don't text me anymore," he seethed.

Ashley's eyebrows shot into her hairline. "Well what about calling?"

"No."

"How am I supposed to contact you then? Is your phone broken?"

He leveled his gaze at her, trying to control the anger he suddenly felt towards her. Was she just playing dumb? He needed to end all contact with her. She shouldn't get caught up in Dion's games or his past actions.

"It's not that," he finally relented and steeled himself. "I don't want you to contact me anymore."

The mix of emotions that crossed her expression at the same time was both impressive and concerning. Shock being the first, leading to confusion, then understanding, and finally hurt.

 **\- End of Chapter Eight -**

* * *

 **I'm actually extremely proud of the way this chapter turned out because, if you follow me on Tumblr, you'll know that this was an extremely difficult chapter for me to write.**

 ** _Magick : a term used to show and differentiate the occult from performance magic._ I'm not using it as a "fantasy magic" but rather as acts of will as part of ritual magic. "Magick", in this case, is actually referenced in a few of the nature-based religions.**

 **Thank you to _LadyEllesmere_ , _WistfulSin_ , and _2_ for your lovely reviews. Also thank you to _destinyswindow_ for your amazing comments, too (that I have not yet replied to yet and I feel terrible).**

 **I know I said I wouldn't post during November (because NaNoWriMo), but I also said I'd post this chapter LAST Sunday and I didn't do that because the weeks leading up to it were crazy and then last week the chapter was being difficult. So this will be my last update until December 9 because I'm going to switch my update days to Saturdays! If you follow my tumblr, o-dragon05, I'll be posting mood boards every weekend until my next update, starting next weekend.**

 **Also, if anyone is participating in NaNoWriMo this year, look me up! I'm username Olivia_wat928. On Dating a Demon will be my project during NaNoWriMo.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	9. No Expectations, No Disappointment

Chapter Nine

 _No Expectations, No Disappointment_

 _"I don't want you to contact me anymore."_

It took her a moment to register exactly what Hiei meant, but when she did, it was like a punch to the gut.

Yeah, she didn't know him very well at all, and yeah, talking to him was like pulling teeth, but his silence was a mystery, as cliche' as that was. He was well-built and good looking. Even though he was quiet, he was usually sarcastic and snarky when he did speak. On top of that, he had a hidden kindness and seemed to watch out for her - which was proved when he saved her from slipping off the cliff.

And yeah, she'd just developed feelings for him, but she thought she'd at least be able to get to know him a little better before they pulled the plug.

Honestly, though, in that moment, Ashley was torn whether to just say "fine" and walk away, or if she should bite back a little.

Lying on her back and showing her stomach had never been her style.

"And what about the festival?" She asked, her words sharp. She was hurting, sure, but she didn't want him to see those emotions. "Yukina's expecting us both to go. And before you say anything, you should know: I plan to go with or without you. Together would probably be easier since everyone thinks we're together."

He didn't say anything, but Ashley could see the wheels turning in his head, his eyes narrowed as he glared daggers through her. A muscle worked in his jaw as he clenched it in frustration. She gladly rose to his unspoken challenge; she didn't break eye contact either.

"Fine," he said, curt, eyes flashing. Some emotion flitted across his face before disappearing altogether. "We'll go together. But after that don't contact me anymore. This bad idea is officially done."

"Do I at least get an explanation why?"

It was a simple question, and a fair one at that. She had a right to know at least.

But Hiei turned away from her, hands shoved deep into his pockets as he did so frequently. "No."

* * *

Time passed strangely from the time she saw Hiei Friday night to when she left her apartment the next morning and headed over to Yukina's house.

Getting ready Saturday morning felt like she was putting on armor and a mask, ready to act out the part of star-struck girlfriend. It was a part she'd played just weeks prior, but since the trip to Nikko National Park, it was one she'd put aside. She'd actually been developing a slight crush on Hiei.

Not that that mattered anymore.

Hiei, out of the blue, just decided he didn't want to do this anymore. Maybe she'd offended him somehow. Maybe he got bored of this whole thing. Whatever it was, he was ready to get rid of her.

And that was fine, really. If she was so easily tossed aside by him she really didn't need him in her life anyway.

But it still hurt.

Yukina answered the door to Ashley, smile beaming. "Ashley! There you are! We're just waiting for Hiei, Keiko, and Yusuke now."

Ashley's genuine smile for Yukina was just that: genuine. She'd made a friend in Yukina, and Hiei be damned if he demanded she stop her friendship with the teal-haired girl just because Hiei had an issue with her. If he told her to stay away from Yukina, Ashley's claws would definitely come out.

As soon as Yukina shut the door and Ashley was stripping her shoes off, another knock came to the door. Hiei stood on the other side, his expression guarded.

"Hiei, good to see you!" Yukina greeted him as Ashley straightened and plastered on a smile for the guy. Her stomach dipped, but she still greeted him just the same.

"Yukina," Hiei greeted her, but his eyes were already roaming over to where Ashley stood. "Ashley."

Ashley tried not to think too much into his civil tone. "It's good to see you," she managed to get out. And it was true. If this was the last time she would see him and talk to him like they were together, in any sense of the word, she didn't want to be rude to him.

Her thoughts from earlier fled from her mind like a summer breeze.

He nodded, eyes not leaving hers until Yukina accidentally tripped into him. He caught her by the elbow as she profusely apologized, and steadied her, but his attention was immediately directed back towards Ashley, her stomach doing flips in response.

His boots were off easily and Yukina led them both to the living room where Kuwabara and Minamino seemed to be lounging. Just barely did Ashley feel the brush of Hiei's fingers on the small of her back as they made their way down the hall.

Internally, she suffered both a slow and agonizing death of wanting to touch him in return and knowing this was all she would ever get from him.

The contact didn't last long, just until they reached the living room, before Hiei retracted his hand once more.

"Hiei," Minamino regarded him in his collected way. Ashley hadn't spent any time around him since that first night she arrived in Sarayashiki, straight off the plane, but he seemed level-headed and like one of the most mature people in the group. "You got a new number, did you not? I don't believe I have it yet."

As he pulled his phone from his pocket, Ashley turned to face Hiei, whose expression was like stone. "You got a new phone?" She asked politely while her mind reeled. Was this why he didn't want her to contact him? But why not give her his new phone number? "I don't think I got that number either. Can I get that from you?"

Her question was innocent to anyone listening, but she could feel the tension rolling off Hiei in waves. Served him right.

Stiffly, he gave the number to both Minamino and Ashley, repeating it twice for Ashley as she pretended to struggle to get her phone to accept his number. By the third time repeating it she felt sure that if he could send nails flying out of his glare she'd be in incredible pain.

As it was, he could not, and she was trying not to die of internalized laughter.

By then, of course, Yusuke and Keiko had arrived and Yusuke also asked for his new number.

"Get it from someone else!" Hiei shot at him, and stomped from the room. "I'll be outside whenever you idiots decide to join me."

Ashley snickered as he stomped out, catching Yusuke's gaze. "It's fun to mess with him, isn't it?"

His grin lit the room like a beacon. "You have no idea."

* * *

The festival happened to be on the first warm day of the year. It was warm and humid and Ashley was very pleased she decided to wear shorts instead of the pants she originally had planned. The sun had decided after a short bout of cloud cover that morning that it wanted to shine at it's full strength and had chased the clouds away.

It truly was a gorgeous day.

Yukina had never really told her what exactly the festival was celebrating, but music blared over speakers, the bass thumping in her chest, and vendors were set up along the streets. Traffic had been diverted for the day.

The crowd was thick and was the most diverse group of people and demons she had ever seen in one place apart from possibly the airport. Some demons towered over the crowd, or pushed through at barely three feet tall. Demons whose skin was every shade, and demons with horns and different colored hair, eyes, and other features. Some with wings even walked about. Most people were of Japanese descent, but with the diversity of the crowd, even those who weren't necessarily from Japan blended in easily. It was like a melting pot.

Ashley stuck close to Hiei as he led her through the throng of people. As two people tried to cut her off from him, without thinking she reached out and took his hand, grasping it as she tried to keep up with his strides.

He glanced over his shoulder in surprise, but the look vanished just as quickly and he turned back around.

Heat rushing to her cheeks in the slip, she released his hand just as quickly once she was confident she was close enough on his heels that no one would try to cut them off again.

Their group quickly became displaced as they tried to walk through the crowds of the festival. Kuwabara, easier to spot with his height and carrot-orange hair, motioned to the rest of their party, and moved toward a less-crowded area to wait for everyone to catch up. With the way the festival was set up, however, they could easily split up into groups and meet up every once in a while. Which was what was decided. Minamino decided to tag along with Hiei and Ashley once Keiko voiced that he was the only one without a date.

His smile was subdued but his eyes sparkled just the same. "It's fine. I'll be the third wheel if one of you don't mind."

And so he decided to stick with Ashley and Hiei. Hiei seemed to be lost in his own world again, never quite locking eyes with Ashley, but absently scanning the crowd. It looked like he was looking for someone, but if he was he never voiced it.

Minamino, however, was the easiest person to get along with.

"Oh, look, Ashley," he called to her over the pounding music as he held up a fox mask to his face. The colors were almost technicolor and feathers stuck out at every direction. She couldn't help but laugh. The crazy blues, pinks, and greens complimented his red hair almost perfectly. Dark red sequins lined the mask, which made it look like it was made for him.

"It's perfect!" she squealed, picking out a mask as well and holding it up to her face. Hers was of a unicorn. The horn was made with gold and silver sequins.

Minamino pulled his mask away from his face to laugh at Ashley's curious cocking of her head. Hiei stood several paces away, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Hiei!" Ashley called over to him, pulling her mask away for a moment so she could call to him and have him hear her. "You should choose one! Look, Minamino found a fox and I've got a unicorn! Maybe you could be the dragon?"

She held out the dragon mask for Hiei, but he merely glared at it and then shifted his glare towards Minamino who had begun laughing with absolute mirth.

At a raised eyebrow in question from Ashley, Minamino waved his hand. "Sorry, inside joke."

Ashley definitely missed that one, but when she turned back to Hiei, he'd turned away, shuffling on and leaving them alone.

Her hand holding the mask dropped, disappointment killing her excitement.

"Try not to be too disappointed in Hiei," Minamino said as he placed the fox mask back onto the vendor's table. Ashley did the same with her masks. "He takes a while to open up."

"So you mean forever?" Ashley replied with a dry chuckle that held no humor.

"He's always been closed off, for as long as I have known him." Minamino admitted. "And that has been for several years now. Just be patient with him. He'll come around."

Ashley followed Minamino through the crowd, sticking close. _He'll come around._ As if they had all the time in the world. As Minamino paused to let some people pass in front of him, Ashley got close so she wouldn't need to raise her voice very much. "And what if he doesn't?"

He glanced over his shoulder at her, emerald eyes meeting hers. "Hiei is someone whose respect you have to earn. Once you earn it, however, he is loyal. Try not to give up on him so easily."

If only she could tell him the whole story. If only she could create a confidant in him. He seemed so easy to talk to.

But he was also a good friend of Hiei's. Could she really talk to him openly and not worry about him running back to Hiei to tell him what they talked about?

Watching him navigate through the crowd, he seemed so calm and collected. He didn't seem to be the type of person to circulate drama. Maybe they could be friends.

She certainly wanted to try, even if she and Hiei were about to end.

The thought occurred to Ashley, then, that she had lost Hiei in the crowd. She stuck close to Minamino as they arrived at their next vendor, an old woman selling handmade jewelry. As Minamino leaned over a selection of bracelets, the woman smiled kindly. "Looking for anything in particular?"

Ashley barely heard Minamino reply, "Just something for my mother-"

She hung out behind Minamino, searching for Hiei in the crowd. Few people were actually wearing black that day, as warm as it was, so she was able to pick him out fairly easily: to the left of where they stood, several booths down. He'd found Yusuke and was talking with him, their heads bent together as Keiko chatted with another vendor.

"Ashley?" Minamino captured her attention. The girl spun back toward him. He was holding up two bracelets. One was made with deep red gemstones, the other with deep blue, possibly sapphires, but really, she knew little about stones. "If you were to get one of these as a present, which would you prefer? It's a gift for my mother and I can't decide between the two."

His expression was so worried as he looked over both bracelets again. Ashley took them both in her hands. She didn't mean to check their price tags, but they fluttered in the wind. Both were more than she usually spent on herself in two weeks.

"Well," Ashley began, trying to keep her voice even. "Does she have a favorite color?"

"She has always liked both of these colors." Ashley could see why with the deep red bracelet. It was a direct match to his hair. She probably liked it because it was a reminder of her son.

"Which do you like better? Usually parents really like things that their kids like, or if you tell her it made you think of her she'll love it for sure."

Minamino smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "The red then."

Holding them out to him, Ashley smiled a small, knowing smile. It seemed he had an affinity for the color red. "I'll take this one, please." He had turned back toward the vendor lady and Ashley looked back in the direction that Hiei had last been standing, but he had disappeared again, as he seemed to do in this crowd.

"Find something?"

His voice appearing next to her so suddenly made Ashley nearly jump out of her skin and a light curse slip from her lips. Sure enough, Hiei stood just to her right, hands shoved deep in his pockets as he watched Minamino exchange money for the bracelet.

He nodded. "For my mother."

"Where'd you disappear off to?" Ashley asked, poking Hiei in the ribs to try to be comedic. It didn't work; he barely moved, just glanced down at her.

For a moment, Ashley thought he wouldn't answer her. After a moment, though, he turned his attention away from her and over her head, back at Minamino. Finally, he said, "Needed to speak to Yusuke."

Ashley glanced back at Minamino who seemed to share an unspoken conversation with Hiei. She and Isla had often done that: share a conversation between the eyes alone. It took a strong friendship, and knowing the other person almost completely.

"Shall we go meet up with the others?" Minamino said, turning from Hiei and stepping towards the direction that Yusuke had just been in.

* * *

Two hours had already passed. As a result, everyone had decided food was in order. Some picnic tables had been set up close to the stage, but it was entirely too loud and no place for actual conversation. Instead, once everyone got food, they found a brick wall that overlooked the streets that held the festival and sat upon that.

Hiei helped Ashley up the wall, grasping her forearm and hauling her up easily, as the brick wall was nearly as tall as she was. Keiko and Yukina, rather than opting for a hauling by their significant others, walked around the back way, taking steps up to the little landscaping area and then balancing on the wall as they walked back towards where the rest of the group sat.

Ashley was seated right between Minamino and Hiei, the latter's thigh just inches from her own. It had gotten warmer as they sat there, but it was a nice heat, if such a thing existed. Almost comforting.

Talking down the line was a difficult matter. Kuwabara sat at the very end and had to holler against the distance, music, and chatter from other festival-goers toward the end of the line where Hiei sat. Truly, they looked like a line of birds sitting on a wire, their feet dangling over the wall, all except Yukina who sat cross-legged, and Hiei, who had scooted back from the edge and leaned against a tree that was close to the wall, one leg straight in front of him and the other bent at the knee, his arm thrown over it casually.

Ashley felt a certain pair of crimson eyes on her back. Turning towards him, and swallowing her bite, she raised a brow. "You okay? You seem distracted today."

Goodness but he was attractive sitting like that. She tried not to let anything show on her face, but trying to control what she felt had always been difficult for her. Oliver had often teased her while growing up that she was as easy to read as an open book. Ashley prayed she'd gotten better at it over time; it was almost painful to watch him knowing that this was their last day. After this, their relationship would be over, even if it was a fake one. Even what little friendship they had would end.

He'd asked her not to contact him again, after all.

"I'm fine," he replied, glancing away and back to the crowd, ignoring her.

Not meaning to, her posture slouched slightly in disappointment.

"Miss Ashley?" a familiar voice called to her from below. Turning, Ashley immediately recognized Ren and Tetsuya, the latter who was nearly at eye level with her where she sat nearly six feet in the air. Where Tetsuya was easily the most recognizable in class with his towering height, horns, and clay-colored skin, he was not the strangest-looking demon in this crowd.

She couldn't help the grin that split across her face at the sight of her students. "Hi! You know I've asked you to call me Ashley."

Ren smiled in her toothy way, arms crossed over her chest, and started to reply, but Tetsuya cut her off, pointing a finger at each of the members of Ashley's party. "You all know each other?" He asked.

Ashley immediately felt Hiei stiffen beside her.

Minamino, likewise, while he smiled, something else lurked behind his expression; his eyes were too tight for his smile to be genuine. He set down his food, holding it in his lap as Tetsuya and Ren stood before them.

"Yeah, I met these guys when I first got here." Ashley leaned over to glance down the line at Yukina, who was smiling politely at the newcomers. "Yukina introduced everyone to me. And I kinda like these guys." A thought _clicked_ in her head at that. "Do you know them?"

Looking again at Ren and Tetsuya below, they seemed almost hesitant in their stance, their posture and body language completely different than it had been just a few seconds prior. Tetsuya had taken a step backwards and now rested his weight on that foot. Similarly, Ren's folded arms looked less like her challenging attitude that she wore most days, and more like she was nervous about something.

With a glance back down the line, Ashley noticed similar uncomfortable tension was visible in Kuwabara, Yusuke, Minamino, and even Hiei's attention had sharpened.

"We've met," Tetsuya finally replied, his tone cool.

"But, uh, hey," Ren chirped up. "We'll see you in class Tuesday? We're on our way to meet… some people."

She was waving "bye" before Ashley could respond and instead looked after them in confusion. Turning to Hiei, she asked, "Do you know what that was about?"

He was watching intently after their retreating backs. "No idea."

She didn't believe him for a second.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Nine -**_

* * *

 **It's so great to be back! During NaNoWriMo, I wrote 50,000 words, which equates to roughly 10 chapters. As you can tell, I have started posting on Saturdays! Here's the schedule for December. It's extra special since it's the holidays: Chapter Ten will be posted Dec 16. Chapter Eleven will be posted on Dec 21 (I celebrate Yule, personally, so it's my gift to you). Chapter Twelve will be posted on Dec 23. Chapter Thirteen will be posted Dec 30.**

 **Since it's been a month since you've seen me, and because I participated in NaNo, I got to spend a lot of time with this little fic, and I have hammered out where it's going, and specifically the time line. I'll be doing sneak-edits over the next week or two (I'll post a note in an author's note when I'm done in case you want to go back through and read the fic again), but the major events won't change. _When _they happened will. Here's some _Spark Notes_ :**

 **Ashley born on December 31, 1996 (remember, she's 23 in this fic)**

 **The first Makai Tournament occurred 10 years ago. As in canon, Enki won and brought down the barrier to non-malevolent demons. Unlike canon, Spirit World placed a secondary restriction on this ruling (which will be explained in a later chapter and contains spoilers).**

 **Ashley took 5.5 years at Cambridge. Some demons were in the world during this time, and there was confusion and some tension among humans, but it was still pretty rare to actually meet someone who was a demon.**

 **The second Makai Tournament took place 7 years ago, and Takayo won. Random fact that will probably never make it into the fic specifically: Takayo changed the frequency of the tournament from every three years to every five. Takayo was killed approximately 4-ish months later by Shono. Shono took over for about five months during which the barrier came down completely and there was a massive influx of demons into human world. Hiei took out Shono and put Koji (the runner up to the second tournament) in place. Since the barrier came down completely and without restrictions, demons became commonplace in Human World (these events are staying the same… just note it was seven years ago, not two)**

 **For two and a half years after that Hiei was tracking down rogue, malevolent demons and upper-class demons that had slipped into Human World while the barrier was down. For a year of this time traveling permits for demons were suspended.**

 **The Human & Demon Peace Treaty was put in place five years ago. Around the same time limited traveling permits were allowed again.**

 **Two years ago was the third Makai tournament. Koji placed first this time and returned to his position as King.**

 **For the last two years the Legion has been purposefully increasing tensions and Hiei has been tracking down the members. Tensions are now at a breaking point. (this does not change but shows the relationship between everything else).**

 **I think that's it for the _Spark Notes_ as far as things are related through chapter eight. Again, I'll make an announcement when the chapters themselves have been updated.**

 **Thank you to ZeroDarkNex14, WistfulSin, Kristy Himura, and LadyEllesmere for reviewing on Chapter Eight! And destinyswindow for your comments on Tumblr. Your reviews and comments always make my day (even if I'm shit at responding).**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	10. A Different World

Chapter Ten

 _A Different World_

Ashley couldn't quite tell why, exactly, she was feeling so nervous as her Tuesday late class approached. The feeling that twisted her stomach into butterflies didn't even start until Tuesday morning, but at the day slipped by, she realized she hadn't felt quite this nervous for her late class since the very first time they met.

She knew it had everything to do with the exchange that had occurred between her students, Ren and Tetsuya, and her friends at the festival on Saturday, but _why_ it was making her nervous was a mystery.

Since meeting them, she'd learned that neither Ren nor Tetsuya would ever hurt another person, let alone a fly, purposefully. Ren was the type of person to always be smiling about something, usually whatever mischief she'd caused. She enjoyed making people laugh, even at her own expense. Tetsuya, as intimidating as he was, was merely a very large, very muscular, teddy bear. After her talk with Oliver the night after the trip to Nikko, she'd mostly forgotten his hateful words until she realized who she would get to see that Tuesday night. Even as they were walking in, Ashley was watching Ren, Tetsuya, and even Mako joke around in the back of the class - where they sat every class - and wondered if people ever said the things her brother had said to their faces. They certainly didn't deserve that hate from anyone.

Tetsuya had picked up on it immediately. "Miss Ashley, are you feeling alright?"

A blush had risen immediately to be caught pondering her thoughts so easily, and she replied casually, remarking on how tired she was. Tetsuya's expression immediately told her he didn't buy it and he subsequently had stayed until after the class had left at the end; Ren and Mako waited for him outside.

"I know you're the teacher, and we're different," he had begun sheepishly and not looking directly at her, "But I can tell something is bothering you something fierce. If you ever want to talk, I'll listen."

His gesture had touched her so much that she almost told him what was on her mind, but thought better of it. If he did have to deal with such hatred, even on a daily basis, it wouldn't come from her, even if she was only expressing her worries. Isla could help with that.

Still, her eyes had teared up just the slightest bit and she'd smiled, but unable to keep her worries out of her smile completely, it had been a half of a thing.

Tetsuya, somehow, had an affinity to read people.

Whatever stress had caused their interaction on Saturday to go south was important, and although she was curious to ask, she also didn't want to put them in a bad position. Any of them.

Nobuyuki was the first in class that evening, an hour before it was scheduled to start. Headphones shoved in his ears, he headed to the far back corner - a change from his usual first or second row seat in front of her desk - dropped his backpack, and fell into the seat as if he was on his very last leg. Judging from the bags under his eyes, he could definitely use sleep.

Ashley, sitting at her desk, was about to greet the young man when two of her three demons shuffled into the classroom. Like Nobuyuki, they both went straight to their seats at the back of the classroom, talking in low voices.

There was no mention on the strange conversation they had had on Saturday.

Knowing she wasn't going to sleep at night if she didn't ask after it, Ashley directed her question towards Ren. Mako always had a very closed-off sort of personality. She tried specifically not to ask him questions unless she realized she hadn't called on him in awhile. When she did, he would stay quiet for a moment and stare at her as if he was sizing her up, before answering.

It was completely unnerving.

"Ren!" Ashley called the demoness' name, gaining her attention. The girl lifted a brow, turning back to Ashley for a moment. It was a general rule that unless they wanted to specifically practice their English skills before or after class they were welcome to speak Japanese. So, Ashley spoke in Japanese. "I'm sorry we didn't get to talk more at the festival, but it was good to see you and Tetsuya!"

Ren smiled, but it was painfully stiff. "We didn't realize you knew those people," she replied, glancing back at Mako for a brief moment before turning around fully in her chair. "Do you know them well?"

The question was on the probing side, which struck Ashley as very odd, but she didn't linger on it. "Not very," she responded, picking up her pen and fiddling with it absentmindedly. Ren took a deep breath, straightening in her chair, as if she was convincing herself of something. Continuing, Ashley said, "Yukina, uh, the teal-haired girl, she was my guide here when I first arrived. She introduced me to her husband and their friends. That's all, really."

The conversation died awkwardly. She noticed that Nobuyuki looked like he was paying attention, watching their exchange. At some point in the time that he'd been in the classroom he'd put away his earbuds.

"It looked like you and Tetsuya knew them, though." Ashley worded her question very carefully, very aware of Ren sitting on the edge of her seat looking as if she was trying not to bolt. "Do you?"

Honestly, she looked _pained_. "It's not really for me to say," she replied finally, as if she had been holding in the words.

Ren glanced up at Ashley, meeting her gaze. Worry painted through her irises.

Understanding that this conversation was physically uncomfortable for Ren, just as the anticipation of the conversation had been for Ashley, Ashley changed the subject to the weather and didn't mention the festival or how Ren had known her friends again.

It was only after she'd gotten home that she realized Tetsuya had never shown up, and she'd never asked after him.

Ashley decided, as Knox completed his business, that she would ask after the demon if he didn't show up again on Thursday.

Surely he would be there, though.

* * *

Tetsuya was, in fact, absent again on Thursday.

Ren and Mako slipped into their desks over an hour before class was supposed to begin for the second time that week. Nobuyuki wasn't far behind them. It was so early, in fact, that Ashley did a double take at the clock. Usually she was out of her classroom this early, still at the student center preparing for her class. It was luck of the draw that she had prepared completely both days and didn't need to go over last minute preparations.

Without preamble, all three slipped into their own studies. Nobuyuki appeared to be listening to something with his head on his desk, earbuds in his ears once more. Ren had her English textbook open, and Mako had a textbook of his own as well as earbuds.

Four people were in her classroom and _no one was speaking to each other._

That was probably the strangest thing about it: her classroom, since day one, had been an open and inviting place. It was the type of place that her students always felt welcome to include her on conversations, and someone was always talking, even before class started.

The room, however, was dead-quiet. It was as if someone had died.

Ashley perched on the edge of her desk, quickly taking a peek at her cell phone in hope that a text from Hiei might be there. All week she'd been trying to refrain from checking her phone too often. Again, as usual, there was nothing. She told herself that she shouldn't care this much, but she did.

For a moment, she just watched her students study. Ren, feeling the gaze of her teacher, glanced up hesitantly from beneath her lashes, not daring to move. "Ren," Ashley spoke Japanese, catching the girl's eye. "Where is Tetsuya? I never see you two without the other."

Ashley could have sworn every person in the room stopped breathing.

Ren tensed, which was incredible, because she was already like a live wire.

"What did I miss?" Ashley asked, knowing that must be the only answer. She must have missed something or said something? But why would they be here so early if she'd offended them somehow? Surely this wasn't still from their run-in on Saturday.

Ren watched her, her head tilted to the side and her eyes critical. "You didn't hear, did you?"

She wasn't being critical, or rude, or angry, but her voice held a disappointment that Ashley wasn't sure quite where it came from.

"Didn't hear what?"

Mako had sat up a little straighter, and was already looking at something on his phone. Ren never broke eye contact with Ashley, mouth slightly agape as the wheels in her mind turned.

After a moment, Mako handed his phone to Ren, tapping her on the shoulder with it. Taking it, she double checked something and then held it out to Ashley.

Ashley slipped off her desk and stepped closer, taking the phone when she was finally within reach.

"Oh!" Her stomach dropped and churned and for a split second, she lost feeling in her legs while her vision became star-filled.

The photo that greeted her was a disturbing image of a demon, it's skin purple from bruising, limbs twisted and at wrong angles. It's face was beaten so far in that the demon was no longer recognizable. Parts of its body was burned away, leaving nothing but bone, muscle, and innards.

There was no gender that was left on this body. Whomever they were, they were now indistinguishable as anyone but a demon. The demon had had wings, which were ripped off, torn, and broken against the grass, the blood a stark crimson against the green trees and bushes.

"That happened in Northern Japan. Up by Sendai." Ren explained, her voice disembodied as Ashley's mind was caught up in the photos.

Photo after photo after photo of the crime scene, or maybe it was photos that the person responsible had taken as a trophy and posted? Who knew. But it was disturbing.

When Ashley could no longer handle the images for any longer, she handed the phone back to Ren. Ren, however, when she took it, didn't break eye contact. "They found him Monday morning."

"Tetsuya cannot pass as well as we can," Mako finally spoke, taking his phone back from Ren and pocketing it. "He didn't feel safe enough to come to school this week. He thought it would be better if he disappeared for a bit."

The thought just about broke her heart. Ashley couldn't move, couldn't bring her feet to walk away. These two demons before her felt safe enough to come, but they still came early before class. Was it to avoid potential conflict?

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know." The words felt hollow and flimsy as wet paper. What were her words weighted against something as terrible as this? A disappointment filled her, but still, it felt as if it was a million worlds away. She of course _knew_ someone it affected, but it didn't feel real.

* * *

"I FINALLY CAUGHT YOU." Isla screeched through the phone as soon as Ashley picked up the line.

Still thinking about her last class and what she'd seen on Mako's phone, Ashley replied with a soft, "Mmm." Knox had been super happy to see her, dancing in a circle and bringing her a toy again and again so that Ashley could throw it for him.

Isla caught on to Ashley's mood immediately. "Tired?"

Ashley paused, thinking about how Isla would react if she told her dearest friend what she'd learned today about the death of that demon. Likely, she would say an, "Oh, that's terrible," or something along those lines and move on to the next subject. It wasn't anything against Isla, but really, it didn't affect her, and really, it didn't affect Ashley, either. It was terrible, but really, what could she do about it? No point in bringing up an empty subject.

"Something like that," Ashley replied instead and avoided the subject completely. "Anyway, how have you been?" She tried to inject some energy in her voice to try to sound at least halfway attentive, but even to her it sounded flat.

The two of them caught up for nearly an hour, talking back and forth and trading stories about their own lives and the events that had been filling them. Eventually, Isla pulled out the details about Ashley's "breakup" with Hiei, even though she wasn't entirely sure that was the correct term for what had transpired between them. The long and short of it was that Hiei wanted absolutely nothing to do with her anymore.

"Maybe that's for the best though, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Ashley asked. For the last hour since she'd been home she'd had this overwhelming feeling like she was being watched. The blinds on her window were open, but night had fallen and covered the world beyond with darkness. It had felt like someone had been watching her for several days, which, as she realized that the blinds were open, made her immediately stand. With the darkness outside, and light inside, anyone would be able to see inside her flat.

With that thought, Ashley twisted the rod for the blinds to close.

"Oh, you don't know, do you?" Isla asked. Somehow that phrase seemed to be the phrase of the day. _Don't know, didn't hear_... For the second time that day Ashley felt horribly out of the loop. The phone _clunked_ hard and Ashley yanked the phone away from her ear.

Nothing happened on Isla's side; Ashley pulled the phone closer to her ear again. "Isla?"

Isla's voice came through the receiver like she was at the end of a tunnel. "I've got you on speaker phone."

There was another _clunk_ through the receiver, and a moment later Ashley's phone chimed with the arrival of a new message. Before she could even pull her phone away to look at what Isla had just sent her, Isla came back on the phone. "I've just sent it to you," she said, stating the obvious. "But I'll explain it: essentially, Hiei is a demon."

Silence reigned on the phone. Ashley could have sworn she forgot how to breathe. Isla, however, seemed to be expecting something a bit more dramatic. "Did you hear me?"

Hiei… a demon.

"How do you- How do you know?" Ashley stuttered, having frozen in the middle of her flat.

"Well," Isla began with a huff. "If you follow the link I've sent you, not only has he been captured in several photos that deal directly with what's going on with the demons-" For a brief moment Ashley wondered how Isla knew what Hiei looked like, and then remembered the two photos she'd snuck of him at Nikko National Park to send to Isla so she would at least know what the guy she was spending so much time with looked like. Isla insisted, in case Ashley disappeared. _You can never be too careful_ , her text had said. "But he's actually labeled as one of the go-betweens with demon world. I mean, he's carrying a sword and is right in the middle of all this stuff. They don't let just anyone carry a sword if I'm remembering Japanese culture right."

Ashley didn't say a word for what felt like several minutes. Isla finally sighed. "If he's not a demon, he's a very talented human. Besides… _red_ eyes? Ashley, don't tell me you've been oblivious this whole time."

That shook her out of her reverie. "I haven't been oblivious," she replied with an edge. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess from his stand-off-ish-ness to wondering where he disappeared to for weeks on end, and then to Nikko National Park and his speed; his ability to catch her and pull her back from the cliff.

"Uh-huh," Isla obviously didn't believe Ashley's defense at all. "Are you going to ask him about it? Obviously he hasn't told you or I think you'd be reacting differently."

The memory of the demon's mangled body tore through her thoughts, silencing them. It was this memory, as well as Tetsuya's continued absence in fear of his safety, that convinced her of what she spoke aloud to Isla: "If Hiei didn't tell me, there must be a reason."

"So you're not going to confront him about it? I mean, you guys were practically in a relationship."

"Except we weren't," Ashley cut her off right there. "The whole thing was a joke to get his friend back for some shit." Ashley drew a deep breath, steadying her emotions. "I'd like to think he would tell me about something like that, but it's his choice. I'll wait to bring it up until he brings it up."

"You're being so mature about all this. If it was me, I'd be all over that."

Ashley didn't reply and instead took the opportunity to change the subject, "So you've been wanting to tell me something about the House?" Once more, she sat on her futon, Knox scurrying up to her ready to play fetch again with his toy hanging out of his mouth like something that was dead.

It was like a light bulb went off. "Oh yeah, that! What did I tell you last time?"

"Not much, honestly. You just mentioned you needed to tell me something about it."

There was another pause. Knowing Isla and her connection to the house through her brother, and therefore Ashley's sister, Sophia, she was wondering how to proceed. "There's been some… activity there."

It only took Ashley a half second to realize what she was talking about. "Activity, like… the spirits?"

"Yeah," Isla trailed off.

"And?"

"And I'm wondering how to explain it to you Miss ' _I take the supernatural with a grain of salt_ '." Ashley quietened for her. "There's been more abnormal activity. The clocks keep resetting themselves. One of them is drawing letters on the walls. Random words keep showing up in the newspaper being circled…. Sophia can't figure it out."

Ashley rolled her eyes so hard she would have lost her balance had she been standing. "This again? Really? And let me guess, someone's been whispering, _'We've been here before.'_ This has been going on for three years, Isla. It's not new."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Isla chided, shushing Ashley. "I'm not done. The lights keep flickering. And the power keeps going out. Every time Sophia goes down to the box to reset it, it causes a massive surge. Tell me that's not some weird shit?"

Isla wasn't playing with this subject like she'd been with Hiei's subject. With Hiei it'd been like she was sharing some gossip that she'd heard. With this, with the spirits in the House, she'd turned serious like she often had been when a midterm was coming up and she needed the grade.

It honestly sounded like the spirits were pissed about something. Really, the House always had had hauntings because, honestly, her mother's side of the family had had the house in their family for over one hundred and seventy years. It had to have electricity and indoor plumbing installed back in the fifties just so it would keep up with the century. Most of her family on the Evans side had lived in that house and many had died there. About five still kept up residence in the house, even after death, including the old family dog from the early 1920s, Ruth.

But the hauntings had always been little things. Feeling a presence in a room. Doors and shutters slamming without effort. Words whispered into unsuspecting ears. Sounds of people moving about when there was no one else in the house. Sightings here and there. However, the first strange occurrence had been three years ago when Ashley's mum had walked downstairs one morning to find Walter's hourglass had been smashed. It was especially weird because it was kept in an old china cabinet at the very back, behind the heirloom plates and dining ware. Even crystal wine glasses stood in front of the hourglass - Mum needed to organize it - but nothing else in the china cabinet had been touched even a hair out of place. Only the hourglass had ended up demolished. After finding it, it was only a few months later that the next overly-strange incident had occurred.

"Isla," Ashley finally began when she realized Isla was not going to move on from this subject until she said something. "All of it is 'weird shit'. Who the hell else do you know still keeps a rickety old house in their family when the entire house needs to be cleansed? It's all weird! Every day is weird. Hell, I was pushed down the stairs as a child by one of them." The memory was clear as a bell. She and Sophia had been playing hide and go seek. Ashley passed by the stairs and a pair of hands, icy cold, gripped her arm and pushed her. She'd ended up in a cast with a broken arm and a minor concussion. "Honestly, it sounds like someone's looking for attention." That someone being cousin Annabelle, who'd died at ten from scarlet fever in the late 1800s. She never liked it when you didn't play with her.

"Well it's not Annabelle," Isla defended. "She's barely tall enough to reach the electrical box. And you can't blame the writing on her either. She never finished her lessons. Have you seen her writing? It looks like scratch. No, these letters are perfectly formed, nearly cursive. I'd say it's one of the older ones. Either Emma or Walter." Isla was adamant. Emma, being Annabelle's mother and Walter the first owner of the home; the patriarch of the Evans family. Neither ever really did anything noteworthy.

" _And_ ," Isla hissed, "They would be tall enough to reach the electrical box, too."

"Neither of them were around when the House had electricity put in. Neither would know how to work the box. None of them would, for that matter."

"Margaret-"

"Margaret stayed in the kitchen and helped my great grandmother dress when she got old. I highly doubt electricity would be something that would interest the woman." Ashley didn't need to tack on, "If this is really happening." Isla was smart enough and knew Ashley well enough she would add that on her own.

When she was met with hard silence on the other end, Ashley heaved a sigh. "Okay, so what's Sophia say about it?" Next to their mother, who almost never visited the House anymore with dad needing help with the company, Sophia was the most spiritually-inclined. Technically, Ashley should be, since the inclination to clairvoyance ran in the youngest Evans girls, but after the incident with Annabelle and the stairs, Ashley had steered clear of the House when she could. It wasn't like she had clairvoyance on the same level as Sophia, anyway. She could never tell when the spirits were close. Sophia could actually hold conversations with them.

"She thinks something is up, too. She's not really sure what, though, because no one is talking to her. It's like, they're communicating with us physically, but actual communication isn't happening. She thinks Walter is the one doing the whispering bit, but he's the only one saying anything, and that's the only thing he's saying. Which, of course, has been the same thing for years."

Ashley didn't say anything, not quite sure why Isla had been so adamant to tell her all this to begin with. "So," she finally began when the line went quiet. "What do you want me to do?" And why wasn't Sophia telling her all this? It wasn't like they were estranged or anything.

"Just… keep an eye out? If you see anything, let Sophia or I know, I guess? Sophia's trying to piece all of it together."

Ashley nodded. "That I can do. Although, even if a spirit passes in front of me you know I won't even feel it."

That comment got Isla to break her serious streak and laugh. "Isn't that the truth though? Anyway, I know it's late for you over there; I'll let you go. Love you to pieces."

Ashley returned the sentiment and hung up her phone, effectively locking it. However, rather than pocketing it and reaching for the leash to let Knox out once more before bed, she unlocked it and changed apps over to her Messenger app. Curiosity over the article that Isla had sent to her got the better of her.

Ashley nearly dropped her phone.

It was the same article regarding the dismembered demon that Ren and Mako had shown her in class. The same one that Ashley had purposefully not mentioned to Isla.

And Isla had shared it to Ashley without comment or acknowledgment on its subject.

Steeling herself against the graphic photos, Ashley scrolled through the article, looking at the backgrounds of the photos.

She hadn't noticed it earlier, but Hiei was definitely standing in the background in a few of the photos, clutching a sword in his right hand, left shoved deep into the pockets of his cloak.

She'd know those sharp crimson eyes and mess of black hair anywhere.

Once she saw what Isla had been talking about, however, she locked her phone, pushed the images and coincidence from her mind, and reached for Knox's leash.

* * *

It had been what felt like centuries since she had last laced up her running shoes. University. The last time had been in university, right after her last finals before graduation. Barely five months previously, but it felt like years.

Running had always been her favorite way to clear her head, so, once again, she donned her running shoes and took off, leaving Knox behind to wait for her. As much as she would have loved a running companion, she had her doubts that Knox's short little stubby legs could keep up with her pace.

Which, if she was being honest with herself, wasn't much of a pace. Within minutes, before the second song on her phone was even over, she realized how _much_ she was out of shape, and had to slow to a walk. And it didn't help things that whatever springtime weather Tokyo had had up until that point had dissipated completely. Now, even in the early hours of the morning the warm humid air pressed close, drawing sweat along her body easily.

Still, Ashley kept a pattern: one song to run, one song to walk. Keeping to the sidewalks and out of the way, she earned few odd looks from people starting their day since nearly everyone hadn't quite woken up for work yet. The sun had barely begun to appear over the horizon.

Again, the same as the night before, she felt a presence following her. She stopped abruptly and turned, eyeing the stretch of street she had just come from, but no one was there.

She pulled the earbuds from her ears and placed them in her waist pocket. If someone was, in fact, following her, she couldn't afford to be distracted.

It was the same feeling she had had at the park nearly a week prior. The same day that Hiei…

Ashley broke into a run again, passing by a middle school on her right. It was a fairly large junior high, with multiple levels, a clock on it's front, and a solid wall surrounding the school. "Sarayashiki Junior High" read the sign out front.

All afternoon that day she'd been feeling like a set of eyes had been watching her. Her refreshing trip to the park to read had turned into a battle with her intuition. Finally having enough of it, Ashley had escaped to the bathroom for a few minutes only to come out and find her book on a different page than she'd left it, and in a different position. She might have attributed it to a breeze if there had been one. Still, even her blanket had showed indents from where someone had stood on it.

As she ran a chill ran up her spine, the same that had when she'd found her book.

Intuition seemed to be right. She wasn't just being paranoid.

Same as this morning.

Her feet pounding the pavement, she passed a middle school on her right. It was a fairly large junior high, with multiple levels, a clock on it's front, and a solid wall surrounding the school. "Sarayashiki Junior High" read the sign out front.

Well _that_ was a weird sense of deja vu. Ashley could have sworn she'd been running in front of a middle school just the same as this one right before sunrise sometime previously. Surely? Because that was an awfully familiar middle school.

Jogging to a stop, Ashely stood in front of the school. A few lights had been left on throughout the night, but it was still too early for anyone to be there. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The feeling of deja vu passed as quickly as it set in. Turning, she set off at a quick pace again, her thoughts wandering back to Hiei and his declaration that he didn't want anything to do with her anymore. "No Contact" was clear enough. And he hadn't caved either. She had heard nothing from him since the day at the festival.

Still, it wasn't as if that should surprise her. Very rarely, even when they had been "seeing" each other, was he the first one to contact her.

That thought pulled irritation into her pace, pushing her harder. She was _always_ the one contacting _him_ when she was the one helping _him_ out. She'd been the one to offer her aid to _him_. Why did _he_ never contact her? She'd been doing all the work, trying to make sure the prank worked for him.

But he never once had even thanked her.

 _Fuck it all._ Anger spilled over and Ashley had to stop her run, instead transitioning to pacing with her hands linked behind her head. She had to get her head clear if she was going to enjoy this run at all. Nothing about it so far had been as relaxing as she hoped it would be.

Still, at least she'd been able to come to a conclusion to herself: if Hiei didn't want her to contact him so badly, she would stick to it. If he ever wanted to contact her again he could be the one to do it, dammit, not her. She'd worked at it enough, and it wasn't even her problem.

 _Screw him._

 _ **\- End of Chapter Ten -**_

* * *

 **This was a hard chapter for me to write, personally. There were several instances in this chapter where I had to take apart things that I had done in the past and examine them so that I could write Isla and Ashley properly.**

 **Thank you to _Oddity Empress_ , _WistfulSin_ , and _ZeroDarkNex14_ for reviewing on Chapter Nine! If you like what you read, please review!**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	11. Long Lost Dreams

Chapter Eleven

 _Long Lost Dreams_

 _The stage lights were blinding and raging hot._

 _A collective hush had fallen over the audience, waiting for her performance._

 _The dress was slightly too tight, just at the waist. Her mother hadn't had a chance to take it out to be tailored since her last performance._

 _Her heart was in her throat, pounding away in her ears, a roar of sound where there otherwise was none._

 _Her shoes clicked against the stage as she crossed from the wings to the piano and sat, back ramrod straight._

 _How many times had she done this before? Even so, the nerves of anticipation always came for a visit._

 _Still, no sound came from the audience as her fingers graced the ivories, just a fleeting touch._

 _Then, she played._

* * *

The dream was recurring, and, if Ashley was being honest with herself, it could go fuck itself.

How many times had Ashley had this same dream any time life got hard and she longed for the piano again? Throughout growing up the piano had always been that steady presence that she could go to to lose herself for awhile. It was her rock. It was only when she could no longer play and no longer had access to a piano that she picked up running in the first place.

Still, the dream, or any variation of it, always put a damper on her day, knowing that those days when she could play were past her now, and that it was no longer part of her life.

She'd even had the damnned dream the night before the went to Nikko National Park. Hiei probably thought she'd just been a bitch that morning -

 _Hiei._

Letting out a breath and rolling her eyes, there it was again: that longing to talk to a man who'd barely ever spoken to her by choice and still hadn't contacted her.

She'd promised herself a week previously that she wouldn't contact him, pissed off at his lack of communication or willingness to work with her and instead expecting her to do all the work. And she'd kept her promise. She hadn't contacted him.

That didn't mean that she didn't often sneak glances at her phone, always feeling the slight disappointment when no text from Hiei awaited her, and always feeling slightly guilty for wanting there to be one.

Hiei had made his intentions perfectly clear. He wasn't interested in her and their friendship was over.

So why was it that she still hoped he might change his mind? It shouldn't bother her; not this much. She knew that. She barely even knew him.

Knox, who seemed to know that she was distracted that morning with longings she shouldn't have, nudged her elbow, trying to flop her arm on top of his little body for scratches. The gesture was so _Knox_ that she couldn't help but laugh. "You ready for your walk?" She asked him in English, and hauled herself out of bed.

* * *

She couldn't shake the dream all morning, however. It had left her feeling lighthearted and distracted. How it felt to play the piano on the rush of a competition was quite possibly the greatest feeling ever.

First class went okay. By lunchtime, and after some research on her computer, she had found that Mushiyori University had a music department.

The knowledge stilled her.

Did she dare try to play again?

* * *

After her second class, Ashley was arguing back and forth with herself on whether or not to stop by the music department and see if they had a piano she could play.

Of course, what reputable music department would allow a stranger to just play their enormously expensive instruments? Even if she was a staff member, they didn't know her.

Perhaps she could sneak in?

A thought occurred to her, then, that she was acting as if she was addicted and needed a fix. That brought a smile out, only to be extinguished with disappointment as she glanced at her phone for the time, only to feel the slight pang of disappointment of not having a text from Hiei.

This was a cycle she needed to break. Desperately.

* * *

By the end of her second class, and still having most of the afternoon free, Ashley snuck out of the foreign languages building, avoiding contact with anyone that could possibly stall her motivation to find the music department.

Thankfully, she encountered no one, and it was relatively easy to find. The two buildings sat fairly close to the foreign languages hall.

Ashley slipped into the two-story building that wasn't labeled as "Concert Hall," the door swinging closed on silent hinges behind her.

"Hello?" she tentatively called out.

There was no front reception desk. And no one was in the halls. Most of the lights were out. Maybe no one had classes in the building on Fridays?

Feeling very out of place, and very much like she was trespassing, Ashley shuffled through the hall quickly. If no one was around, that meant no one was around to tell her she couldn't find the nearest piano.

The entire building, she found out, was dark. A few practice rooms were lit and occupied, but their occupants all had their eyes on sheet music, headphones over their ears, and their respective instruments in their mouths or in their hands.

Ashley continued her search through the building, scampering down the hall until she found a room whose door was propped open. A few of the overhead lights were on inside, but they weren't blazing bright like the other practice rooms had been.

A piano waited for her inside, the keys sparkling beneath the dim lights.

Ashley's breath caught, and for a moment, she couldn't quite think. "Hello?" she called into the room. The room wasn't perfectly square, and instead had a hallway leading out from the other side. Likely a door was on the other side, but it wasn't visible from where Ashley stood.

No one replied. "Hello?" she called again, just in case whomever was using this room hadn't heard her, but the room remained silent. Sheet music was on the music rack, so someone had been here at some point. Of course, there was the possibility that they had just left their sheet music on the piano in whatever rush they had been to leave, but that wasn't likely. Ashley, at least, never forgot her sheet music while she had been playing. She'd done that only once at her instructor's house, and after a quick scare of him throwing it in the fireplace, Ashley had learned never to do that again. Plus, the fall board was pulled back exposing the keys. Likely, whomever had been using the piano before now had just stepped out for a moment.

She entertained the brief thought of leaving and finding another piano. But the room was empty. Surely it wouldn't hurt to play for just a moment.

Ashley approached the piano, which sat so innocently in the middle of the room. Around the edges, seats were arranged. It was likely a lecture hall. Whatever professor who used this piano would likely be pissed as shit if they knew another person had played it, but it was so close.

The memory of touching the ivories before her last performance resurfaced, clear as a spring day.

Once more, for the first time in four and a half years, Ashley's fingers hovered over the ivories. Time slowed, and her heart beat faster, like a tattoo in her chest.

Her heart was the only thing she could hear in her ears, the pressure and nerves of even pressing a key to hear the familiar tune of middle C nearly overwhelming.

The room tilted, the walls growing closer.

The door opposite banged open, sharpening Ashley's world back into focus.

Not waiting to see who it was, she turned tail, embarrassment flooding her cheeks in a hot rush, and disappeared back into the hallway, running back to the safety of the sidewalks outside the building where she could blend in with everyone else.

No, trying to pick up the piano where she had left off would be a terrible idea.

 ** _\- End of Chapter Eleven -_**

* * *

 **Thank you to _Kristy Himura_ , _blueveins92_ , and _WistfulSin_ for reviewing chapter ten! If you like what you read, please review! I know Hiei hasn't been in these last who chapters except in brief mention, but next chapter will be from his point of view.**

 **I, personally, celebrate Yule, so here's a chapter a few days early as my gift to all of you. Thank you for following my little fic so far. I never ever thought anyone would enjoy it as much as I do, and honestly, anytime I see someone say how much they're enjoying it, a part of me is just dumbfounded. But, I guess that comes with sharing your story with other people. Like, I know _I_ like it; but I'm writing it. I guess I never expected anyone else to like it, too. So, thank you. _Thank you_. So, for whatever you celebrate this holiday season, if you celebrate anything in particular, Happy Holidays. May your season be filled with love and happiness.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	12. Borderline Stalkerish

Chapter Twelve

 _Borderline Stalkerish_

Ashley was the most uninteresting person alive.

That was to say that the last couple of weeks had been incredibly boring. Ashley would wake, walk the dog, head to work, and then go back home. Once a week, usually on Mondays, she would stop at the store and pick up food after work to last for the rest of the week. Then she would go home, read for a bit, sometimes go for a run, and finally tuck in for the night.

As previously mentioned: incredibly boring.

It was only in small moments that Hiei watched her with curiosity. She checked her phone a thousand times in a day because, he realized, three days after he first noticed her doing it, she didn't wear a watch. She rarely went out after work, and if she did it was to a little British-style tea shop a few blocks over where she would order mint tea - _always_ mint tea - and read for hours on end. Sometimes she would take Knox with her, and he would sit there and watch Hiei. Somehow the dog never missed his presence. Even when Hiei would take up residence in the tree just outside her apartment and watch her daily life through the sliding glass door, the dog would always watch him back, ears up and head cocked slightly to the side, tongue lolling.

Only a handful of times did Ashley ever notice Hiei's presence, which didn't make sense in the slightest. That day back at Nikko he had purposefully let his demonic aura grow, trying to intimidate her, but she never reacted, even instinctively. Now, only weeks later, she was showing signs of spiritual awareness. Generally a person, if they did not have any spiritual awareness to speak of in the beginning, would not spontaneously develop spiritual awareness. It would only occur if someone who was strongly connected to the spiritual or psychic realm spent a great deal of time around another person who had a major spiritual aura or demonic aura.

She had once mentioned her family had a house with spirits, but that didn't seem to be compelling evidence to suggest she might also have an impressive buried spiritual awareness. She might have some power that would come out, but nothing too great.

For now, at least, having that house in her family would explain her seemingly sudden awareness of him, even if she was only acting instinctively. Truthfully, it had probably been growing in her long before he ended things between them.

Besides, most humans knew something was different about him, after all. Maybe she wasn't so oblivious as he originally thought.

Still, that little growth spurt in talent was the most interesting thing about her.

For the last two weeks he'd had little sleep, catching up only while she was in her late class, or pulling light naps while she was in public spaces. While Dion was sneaky, she wouldn't dare try to harm Ashley where other people could see. And as far as the late class went, while knowing that Ren and Tetsuya had made their way into this world illegally put him on edge, both demons were skilled A-class warriors, and both had a tendency to protect those weaker than themselves. Exactly how deep the Legion's anger at him for killing Shono was, he wasn't sure. Still, Shono had been their leader, and if Dion's threat held any weight, Hiei would pay. Even if Ashley was nothing more to him but a mere human who happened to stumble into this mess, she didn't deserve to die. Even if Tetsuya hadn't made it to class since the incident, Ren would protect Ashley if something happened. For now, at least until he could figure out a better plan, he would have to put Ren and Tetsuya's extraction on hold.

It was early in the days after Hiei ended things with Ashley, and early in his protective role of keeping an eye on her every day that he'd received a call about a missing demon, somewhere in the region to the north.

There was no one else to take the call. No one with his particular set of abilities, at least. He had to go.

Locating the demon was the easy part.

Finding the demon's dismembered body was the hard part.

The media had gotten hold of the story nearly as quickly as it happened and before he could stop it the story was plastered all over the Internet.

 _First Demon Death In Months._

 _Demon Found Mangled on the Streets of Sendai. Could This Be A New Trend In Violence?_

Of course, the article came with theories of who did it, if it was connected to the Guardians of the Blue that had been created back when Shono first let the barrier fall without vetting of demons, or if it was a rogue attack. The Guardians were a group of humans staunchly against letting demons remain in Human World. They had risen quickly and gained traction when problems first began appearing. After the _Human and Demon Peace Treaty_ was put in place, they died down with threats from their governments, but in recent months they were back on the rise, recruiting members across the nations. Between the Legion and the Guardians, it had been difficult keeping everyone level-headed on all sides and figuring out whose loyalty resided with whom.

The Guardians wanted demons gone, and were not above harming demons in order to get what they wanted. This incident could be tied back to them, or it could be a separate incident altogether.

Still, the entrails that were pulled across the pavement would not let their owner speak to whose crime this fell back to.

By the time he returned to the tree outside Ashley's apartment that night, he was not alone.

Dion lounged in the branches above him.

Immediately, he blurred from view, sprinting up to where Dion perched. She didn't move, even as Hiei found a branch to support his weight in a tree across from her. The scabbard in his hand gleamed as he clutched his sword's hilt beneath the full moon, ready to draw the weapon in an instant.

To his left, where Ashley's apartment sat, the lights were on and she was dancing to an unheard beat while making food.

"Don't worry, Jaganashi," Dion's words came to him like silk. Her eyes never moved from Ashley's form. "I'm just watching her."

He lunged, using his speed to his advantage, and sliced through the air where Dion once was.

Right before he cut her, she allowed the shadows to swallow her body, and she disappeared, using her newfound ability to teleport away. Using the Jagan, he was able to track her energy signature. The next time she appeared she was in the next town over, far from where he stood.

After dealing with the remains of the unknown demon all day, he was mentally drained. Now, after his confrontation with Dion, he was wide awake, adrenaline roaring in his ears.

Glancing over to where Ashley was, safe in her flat, oblivious to the danger that had been so close, he nearly envied her.

Nearly.

That was the last time he'd left her alone for so long.

If something came up, the baby king could call on one of the other Detectives, retired or not, or any one of the other demons who had signed up as a mediator.

He had more important things to worry with.

* * *

One Friday, two weeks into his watching of her, Ashley decided to search out the music hall on campus.

She'd been a little jumpy all morning, and more than a little distracted. Usually while she was in class he would choose a tree outside and keep his Jagan scanning for any of the Legion or any other dangers that might present themselves. He wasn't so close-minded to think the Legion would only think to send one of their own members to come after her. There was talk of a demon who was able to get into the minds of his enemies and twist their thoughts to his bidding. If that was true, anyone could be a danger.

Human world magick made everything more difficult.

That day, however, rather than turning left and heading back out to the train to take home, Ashley turned right, hesitantly, and began walking at a brisk pace. Following her, it didn't take him long to realize where she was headed.

She paused outside the building, a little pile of nerves, before visibly steeling herself and pulling the door open.

If his curiosity hadn't been piqued when she changed her schedule, it was certainly piqued then. No one noticed him follow her into the building.

She found a room towards the end of a long hall, all the lights shut off in the hall except a few here and there.

Stealth had always been a strong suit of his, so when she approached the instrument in the middle of the room, he silently slipped in behind her and hid in the rafters above the lecture hall, still watching her.

Ashley paused, her breath caught, not daring to touch the instrument. It seemed like an intimate moment he was witnessing, but he found himself unable to tear his eyes away.

Maybe she wasn't the most uninteresting person alive.

The moment ended rather abruptly as the door opposite Ashley banged open. Hiei's adrenaline spiked, and he immediately griped the hilt of his sword. The patter of her footsteps quickly fading away told him she was out of the room.

Although he was expecting a member of the Legion to step through the door, it was a surprise when it wasn't Dion or one of her counterparts.

Keeping his expression neutral, Hiei dropped to the ground in front of Mako, whose golden eyes glinted in the dim light of the room.

For a long moment, the two regarded one another. Mako nearly stood at Hiei's height, and although Hiei hadn't seen the B-class demon in years, that didn't make his sudden presence any more welcome. In his hands he clutched sheets of paper, stacked neatly together. His posture wasn't threatening or on defense. If not for the hard glint in his eye, Hiei might say he'd caught the Oblivion off-guard.

"Hiei Jaganashi," Mako's smooth tenor greeted the fellow demon. "Ren had mentioned she'd run into you, but I didn't believe it."

"Didn't believe it until you saw it for yourself?"

"Naturally."

The atmosphere between the two demons was not welcoming at all. If anyone else had been in the room at that exact time they would have noted that it felt like the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees. The level of hostility between the two was palpable.

Hiei definitely didn't trust the Oblivion. Oblivions were usually dangerous demons, especially where their allegiance was concerned. It often shifted to whomever could pay them the largest sum for the use of their natural abilities.

It was why no Oblivions, no matter how weak, had ever made it to Human World when traveling permits were being granted. Hiei immediately put together that Mako must have slipped through when the barrier was down back when Shono was king.

"Let's stop wasting time. Are you Legion?"

Mako snorted and replied, "What, align myself with those imbeciles? No, I prefer to spend my time around the fine arts these days." Hiei could tell in the way that Mako didn't ease the tension in his body that he knew Hiei didn't believe a word he said. Continuing, Mako said, "Believe it or not, I don't enjoy my natural abilities at all. There are those of us who hate who we are, you know."

Hiei didn't rise to the possible bait. "Just don't harm the girl."

Mako nodded to where Ashley had disappeared through the opposite door. "Who, Ashley Wright? Never. Or at least, I won't as long as you won't, _Jaganashi_." His voice hardened, along with his gaze. "I give no promises to you."

As threatening as Mako's words were to Hiei, Hiei did recognize that Mako was offering them to Hiei and left Ashley out of the threat entirely. If harm befell Ashley, Hiei believed it would not come from Mako.

Using his speed, Hiei blurred out of sight, following Ashley back out of the building and leaving Mako to whatever it was that occupied his time.

* * *

Ashley didn't go straight home; not that day. Instead, she slipped away to her usual tea shop, plugged her earbuds in her ears, and listened to something on her phone while she drank her tea. Even from his vantage point he could see dismay and embarrassment etched into her expression and slouched body posture. While humans were barely interesting, they had little sense of self-preservation, letting any passerby see their emotions plain as day. And Ashley was especially bad at it, he had noted over the weeks. By the time she left the teahouse it was night and the streetlights were coming on. She seemed thoroughly distracted, but not so much that she left her earbuds in her ears. Thankfully, she was smart enough to take them out.

Still, Hiei watched as she glanced over her shoulder every few minutes as she walked at a brisk pace. Nervousness spilled off her in waves.

About halfway home she skidded to a stop and turned suddenly, standing with her feet spread apart. Into the void she called, "Whomever is following me, come out now! I've had enough of your games."

Her display of confidence wasn't that impressive. With her feet at that width he could easily knock her over. Her balance was all wrong. Did she _want_ to die?

Still, her defiance was amusing.

Then the question came to him of what he should do in this situation. Should he allow her to see that it had been him following her for the last fortnight? Or should he stick to the shadows in the trees, and allow her confidence to wane? If he did stay within the trees, however, and she took another opportunity such as this to confront her follower and he wasn't around, it could be one of the Legion to step out from the shadows to harm her.

The decision was easy. Silently, he dropped to the pavement, quick as a shadow.

Ashley was obviously not expecting to get an answer because she stumbled backwards at the sight of him, nearly tripping on a trashcan that had been left out.

"Hiei," she muttered, all confidence gone from her voice. "What are you doing following me?" A blush rose to her cheeks, followed by a thinly-veiled panic as her eyes searched for someone else in the dark corners of the streets.

Not relaying any emotion across his face, he merely responded a curt, "Follow me," and began walking back in the direction they had come. There was no place to talk quietly ahead of them, and he sorely doubted she would be willing to invite him home for tea now that she knew he'd been following her.

He half expected her to disobey his command. Her stubbornness had proved more than once that when she decided to plant her feet and not move on her point, she would do so.

He was almost surprised when she followed him, the quick pace of her footsteps against the cement all the knowledge he needed that she was following him.

* * *

He took her to a cafe styled like an American diner. Chrome covered almost every surface and red pleather booths lined a wall with windows every few feet. It was cheap, and a place that Kuwabara sometimes insisted they go. He tended to enjoy American food. Hiei didn't know of any place that served British food, so he assumed this would work. American and British people were connected somehow, weren't they?

Knowing she hadn't eaten all day, Hiei fully expected her to actually order food. Instead, all she ordered was some sort of soda, which surprised him, but he refrained from actually commenting on the lack of sustenance. What she did was up to her. His job was just to make sure she didn't perish from _his_ actions.

The soda was out in minutes, but even as they waited Ashley didn't say a word to him. She sat with her back against the booth, her arms crossed over her chest. Booths were awkward things, which Hiei had nearly always disliked. Their tables were too far away from the seats themselves, often causing their occupants to sit on the edge of the seat in order to reach their food, or stretch to reach it if they sat with their backs against the poofy seats.

He, personally, hated booths. But it was the only private seating available in the diner. So booth it was.

She watched him. He watched her watch him. He also watched a group of four older people enter the diner and sit, a waitress calling out that she would be with them soon. He watched a lone man sitting at the bar, iPad propped up on something beside him, scrolling through the _New York Times_ , fork dangling over a stack of pancakes soaked in syrup. A young boy and girl sat at a booth three tables away with milkshakes in front of them. The girl kept blushing and not looking directly at the boy.

He and Ashley were in the far corner away from everyone else, even though no one else had even a smidge of energy; spiritual or demonic. Better to be safe in this situation.

The soda was placed in front of Ashley. Without speaking, she picked up the straw wrapped in paper, slowly tore the paper off, placed the straw in her drink, and took a large gulp before she sat back, took a deep breath, and finally asked, "Why were you following me? Normal people who say that they don't want contact from another person do not then follow the person around afterward. How long have you been following me?"

"About two weeks."

Hiei watched as the color drained from her face. "Hiei, that's stalkerish. Why?"

He could tell she was trying to mask the panic that was plainly growing behind her eyes. But a thought occurred to him: how could he possibly tell her what was going on without giving everything away? Without putting that power in her hands? Could he trust her with such a secret?

"I know that you're a demon, Hiei."

There were few times that his stomach dropped. This was one of those times. His gaze caught hers, briefly, before movement over her shoulder stole his attention. It was nothing; just the waitress arriving with drinks for the party of four. Carefully, he kept his panic masked. "Is this connected to Demon World in any way?" She asked.

So she knew. _How_ she knew was a mystery, but she knew.

"How long have you known?"

"A week… maybe a week and a half," she admitted. He finally flicked his eyes back to her, only to see that she wasn't looking at him at all. Her gaze was on the back of her hand which was splayed out against the top of the table as she studied it carefully. Her lips were pressed together in a fine line. She was interesting to study, the way she worried over saying what she was thinking before she eventually did. "I should have guessed at the signs before then, but I sometimes miss the obvious."

Obvious. Just how obvious had he been, really? He usually tried to blend in with the humans. Among crowds, he would keep his pace the same even when he wanted to feel the wind rushing past as he ran. He kept special attention to the weather to not dress in such a way to make the humans think he might run several degrees warmer than the average human. He kept his eyes downcast when he knew people were watching. He tried not to draw attention to himself in any way. One wrong move could be the end. And while he could take any mere human without even trying, there was a strenuous balance that needed to be kept.

And Ashley said there had been obvious signs. How many signs had been out there that he was lax in preventing?

He didn't respond to her words right away. Under normal circumstances he would never reveal what was going on quite so easily. This situation, however, that had started because of his actions years ago and he had allowed Ashley to stumble into, seemed like extenuating circumstances. She at least had a right to know, especially where her safety was concerned.

"Yes," It was a short word, but difficult to say when he'd been trying to blend in for so long among the humans.

Taking a breath, he explained to her the details of what had happened. Once he told her of what had transpired at the German castle with Dion and his cell phone, Ashley next tugged out information about the Legion, too. As much as her questions irked Hiei, those details came out as well. He could at least see how and why this information was useful to her, but it still annoyed him.

By the time he finished, her soda was gone and she was staring at him in frozen horror.

"I had no idea," she whispered.

"Obviously you wouldn't," he snipped, crossing his arms across his chest. Kurama's "human lessons" came back to him quickly enough. For the two weeks he hadn't been trying to be in a relationship with the girl the little nagging voice that belonged to the Kurama in his brain had left him alone. Barely an hour with the girl, though, and it was back, nagging him to be _nice_.

He nearly rolled his eyes in response, but Ashley might think he was crazy if he did it without prompting.

One of the few details that Hiei had left out was that Dion had guessed Ashley was important to him, but if she was smart enough, Ashley could infer that herself.

Still, he told her more than he would have if she didn't know he was a demon. That changed things. And while a part of him wished she had been forthright with the knowledge as soon as she had received it, the other half of him was at least a small bit pleased that she hadn't said anything to begin with. She had known it wasn't hers to share.

What was more, was that she was completely at-ease with the knowledge. Of course, she was still ignorant as to exactly how strong he was, but that could come later, if at all. Here was a human girl sitting across from him at some random diner as if they were just two people. As if the world wasn't threatening to collapse on itself.

For a moment, it gave him hope as to what the world could look like with some work. But that was never going to happen, he knew.

"What can I do to help?"

The question sharpened his gaze back to her, taking her in: Ashley and her confidence; Ashley and her stubbornness.

She wasn't strong, but she pretended to be. He could almost believe the glint in her eye was determination. The first crossing with a demon of considerable strength, however, and he was sure she'd be running in the opposite direction. Any human or demon alike with any shred of self-preservation would run, not fight, if a confrontation like that crossed their path.

She had no idea what she was asking.

"You can't," he dismissed her immediately, scoffing at the fact that she was even entertaining the possibility of helping him. When she didn't back down, Hiei's gaze hardened on hers. Ashley and her _stupid_ defiance. Again, he reiterated, "You _can't_. These people would tear you apart as soon as they got the chance. They're trying to now."

"Okay," she snapped back. "But first, you don't have to be mean to me about this, alright? It's not my fault you lost your damn cell phone." Hiei was about to retort, anger flashing in his eyes, but Ashley cut him off. "And second, I just want to make this easier on _you_. I must be stupid, but that's what I want. If I can do that, tell me how and I'll do it immediately because, as you say, this'll all go a whole lot easier if we're both on the same page about it."

He couldn't fight her there. It was almost like talking to the fox. Kurama always picked up on things and pieced events together that Hiei hadn't even noticed were connected until he pointed them out.

Still, her stubbornness was annoying.

Hiei huffed a sigh but refused to sit up any straighter. Glancing out the window was pointless, as the bright fluorescents inside the diner reflected back on the dark glass. "I've got your schedule down pretty well. You wake up, walk the dog, go to work, sometimes run errands after work, or go to the tea house. Then you go home, maybe read for a bit, and then go to bed. It's the same day every day."

He ignored her muttered comment of, "That's creepy that you know my schedule." Instead, he pressed on. "What I need to know is if you change your schedule at all. If you do and I'm not aware of it, the Legion could use it against you or me and slip in."

"So you mean I need to tell you where I'm going, how long I'm going to be there, and who I'll be with?" Ashley summarized.

It was a good summary, truth be told. "Yes."

"Absolutely not."

His anger flared. Was this girl determined to die?

"If I don't know this information I might not be able to protect you as I would otherwise be able to," he hissed.

"Well then, _fucking figure it out_ ," Ashley hissed back. Hiei was vaguely aware of the wait staff eyeing their table with concern. "But _that_ , that right there is abusive and stalking. I'll give you information I think you can use to keep an eye out, but no more than that. My business is my business, and if you think about that starting that whole creepy stalking thing again I'll ask Yukina and Kuwabara for help. Maybe even Minamino. He seems to have a pretty good head on his shoulders."

She paused. They glared daggers at each other across the table, neither moving but both impassive on their points. "You have your own life, Hiei, you shouldn't worry about me. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow and die. Life happens."

He rolled his eyes; humans were so fragile.

"You can keep me safe, fine, sure, whatever, and I'll give you information when _I_ think you need it, but no more."

Hiei was not one to accept surrender easily or quickly. In front of this bulldozer in human form, however, he could at least see her point.

Begrudgingly, he complied.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Twelve -**_

* * *

 **Well, we've finally gotten to see things from Hiei's perspective, and see what he's been up to, after two chapters of barely anything with him at all. That scene of him watching Ashley in the music hall and running into Mako has been in my head for what seems like forever. I'm glad to finally get to share it with you. And I finally got to write an _actual_ scene with Mako. FINALLY.**

 **I'm in central time and it's technically Saturday the 23rd. Later today, when it's actually daylight, I'll be cleaning and cooking and doing Christmas things because I'm hosting Christmas with my Dad and sister on Christmas Eve. No, I'm not panicking at _all_. (Secretly panicking.)**

 **And we've reached 50,000 words on this story! It seems incredible, honestly, and a little unbelievable, too. Thank you to _WistfulSin_ and _Oddity Empress_ for reviewing on chapter eleven! If you like what you read, please review! I always enjoy seeing what you guys think of the story.**

 **I know I haven't mentioned this in awhile, but if you have a tumblr, follow me there! o-dragon05.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	13. Impasse

Chapter Thirteen

 _Impasse_

"I'm going to Mount Tsukuba this weekend."

Ashley had convinced Hiei to get another phone. Or rather, by the third week of their decision to work together to keep Ashley safe from the Legion's revenge schemes, Ashley had bought Hiei another phone. As she handed the small, easily-breakable device to him, she told him, while avoiding his gaze, "I'll only call you when I need to talk to you. I won't contact you other than that."

It was a nice gesture, and it didn't go above his head that she was still trying to respect his wishes that she not contact him. But now that she knew everything about the Legion and what they were trying to do, the art of not contacting him had failed. There were times when they needed to communicate, and both decided that texting was the last thing either of them wanted, especially since the last time when Dion took Hiei's phone, the demoness was able to have access to all past conversations.

No, talking by phone was definitely safer. And Ashley taught Hiei how to lock his phone, just in case.

Three weeks after they had decided on their little arrangement of his protection, she called him one morning. Hiei could hear water flowing somewhere behind her; she was likely doing dishes or cooking when she decided to call him.

It was almost endearing the way a thought would pop into her head and she would put everything else on hold while she tried to complete a call to him to let him know about something that had slipped her mind that she thought he should be aware of.

Almost endearing.

"What's up there?" he asked. Truly, he wasn't interested in her personal life, besides what he needed to know.

"Just some hiking trails. Beautiful scenery, fresh air, that sort of thing. Dad used to take me and my siblings hiking as a kid. Grandfather was a huge survivalist, and taught Dad everything he knew to survive an End of Days type situation. Dad then taught us bits and pieces so we could at least survive if we had to… and you don't care, do you?"

This entire trip really meant she was missing home, he knew. Yukina would often do similar things when she thought of the ice maiden village they had been born into. Deciding she wanted to see snow in the middle of the summer two years ago and trying to plan a trip to South America was one of those things. Once she saw the prices of plane tickets, however, Keiko introduced her to some website. _Pinrest, Pinterest_ , or something.

He really didn't need all the information that Ashley gave him, but it allowed him a glimpse into her personal life, at least. Whatever she gave he would accept.

Even if she was sometimes annoying.

He ignored her last question. "So you'll be there just Friday and Saturday or what?"

He was in the tree outside her flat, but she didn't know that. Or maybe she did. Somewhere along the way she'd gotten smart to Knox's knowledge of where he was. He had been watching the flat for most of that afternoon, and mostly watching Knox watch him. Finallly, he saw her move into view of the window, drying her hands on a towel, phone cradled in the space between her ear and her neck, and wearing -

He immediately averted his eyes. What he'd caught was the slender legs of Ashley, wearing nothing but a t-shirt that just barely covered all the important bits. _Seriously, did she_ never _close her window?_

The blush crept along his nose and colored his cheeks, and the distraction nearly prevented him from catching her next words.

"Yeah, just Saturday. I figure I'll spend the night here and then head out early Saturday. Just a day trip. Nothing major."

From his peripheral vision, he saw her move out of view of the window again. He muttered a simple, "Sounds good," and disconnected the line.

* * *

Ashley did not actually go for her hike that weekend.

By Wednesday it was plastered all over the news that Typhoon Nakri was supposed to make landfall that Saturday. He called her as soon as he found out about it. "Oh, that's a thing? I didn't even hear about it."

How she managed to stay functional without him he didn't understand.

Rolling his eyes, he growled, "How were you planning a day outside and didn't know about this?" Even he checked the weather. The phone she had given him was great for that. It let him know exactly what to expect. As a human, who was the _actual one to give him the phone_ , she should know the phone's functions and take advantage of them.

"Hey now," she chided, hearing his condescending tone and correcting him. "I just hadn't looked. Anyone could be taken unaware. I'll just stay in, then."

"Hn," Hiei responded. She was at work and this was his usual time to be sleeping. Trying not to let Ashley die was cutting into his daily break from making sure she didn't die.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?"

The question caught him off-guard and woke him up instantly, the thought of sleep suddenly a long ways off.

When he didn't respond, Ashley continued, "If you need somewhere to stay, you can stay with me. Two birds with one stone and all that."

He barely recognized the phrase, but hung up the phone rather than ask what she meant.

* * *

The storm wasn't supposed to make landfall until Saturday in the wee hours of the morning, but by Friday it was already raining. Classes had been canceled starting Thursday, supposedly, to allow families and employees to get ready for the oncoming storm. It wasn't more than a light rain; barely enough to even make it through the canopy of his tree, but he wondered, briefly, if he would take Ashley up on her offer. Normally, in a situation such as this one, he would have stayed in that spare bedroom of Yukina and Kuwabara's.

This wasn't a normal situation, however.

As soon as he had the thought, though, he immediately chided himself for it. He would be fine out here. He'd survived worse in the past.

By three that afternoon, it was pouring, the wind was picking up, and lightning had started striking every so often.

By five, it was like the world was ending.

* * *

Knox's sudden barking made Ashley jump, Hiei saw through the sliding glass door, but really, he didn't care how scared she was. At that moment, he was more concerned that she open the damned porch door before the wind tore him apart.

With a little effort on her part, the door was open, and Hiei slipped inside before too much rain could follow him in.

Knox was still barking as Hiei ignored him and made a bee-line towards her bathroom, knowing he was dripping everywhere. After enough times of coming into Yukina's home dripping everywhere he'd learned his lesson to not linger in places inside the home where he could drip.

"Is it raining?" Ashley called out as Hiei heard the porch door latch. Her words were dripping in sarcasm.

"Shut up."

She snorted in laughter as he began stripping his cloak off. "Do you have a shirt I can use?" He called out, which wasn't necessary as Ashley came to lean against the frame of the bathroom door, arms crossed across her chest.

"Oh, so needy!" She teased him, a smile growing on her face and lighting her eyes.

"I'm here because of _you_."

"No," she replied as she walked away, her voice growing just a tad fainter. "You're here because you didn't bother to put a code on your phone and then lost the damn thing to Dion." Having returned, she held the long-sleeved shirt out to him with a smirk. Rolling his eyes and ignoring her, he grabbed the towel off the rack and started drying off. She could leave the shirt on the floor for all he cared.

"You're a little more built than I am, so it might be a little tight, but I think it'll work." She said as she finally hung the shirt on the inside doorknob. "Need shorts? I've got a pair here I think will work, too." She held them out, too. Truthfully, he would love shorts. Admitting he would love the shorts was a different matter.

He didn't answer, and that was all the answer that Ashley needed to hang the shorts on the doorknob with the shirt. "I'll leave you to it," she said and pulled the door closed.

Peeling off the wet fabric was uncomfortable, but soon it was off, he was dry, and he'd donned the clothes she'd lent him. Really, it was all about the right size. Even the shirt, which was tight, but not constricting, was okay.

It was workable at least. And a thousand times better than his drenched clothes had been.

Slipping back out of the bathroom, he nearly ran into Ashley, who had begun cooking something while he changed.

"Oh!" she squealed as she turned and nearly lost her balance. After righting herself, she tilted her head, cooking spoon in hand, wine glass in the other, as she took him in.

At the same time that she took him in, he took her in. Sometime during the day she'd donned some shorts, even though they were almost too short in the back, and a simple shirt. Her hair had been pulled up and out of her face in a simple tail.

"You look..." A pink blush started creeping into her face and she quickly turned, showing him her back, and busying herself with something else. "Good," she finished, her voice slightly strangled. "Don't you want to take off your headband, though?" she motioned to him over her shoulder, not looking directly at him. "Your hair was drenched. That's gotta be too."

Even though she knew his secret, seeing the line where his Jagan was was - or even seeing the Jagan itself - was not something he even wanted to broach that night.

"It's fine," he grunted, hoping she would leave it alone, and walked away to the _kotatsu_.

By now, after months of having knowing her, he should have known that wouldn't be an acceptable answer for Ashley. She was nothing if not curious and stubborn, and she seemed slightly tipsy, too. Three qualities that didn't always work well together.

She stopped whatever it was that she was doing and turned, slowly, to face him.

"But it's wet."

"It's fine," he insisted, trying to school his features into a bored mask.

She tilted her head again, this time a mischievous glint hardening in her eye.

Hiei's stomach dropped.

"You do _always_ wear it," she observed, and, leaving the cooking spoon in the kitchen, stalked closer. "Is it to keep your hair out of your face? You do have very poofy hair."

She was close enough to reach out to try to bop his hair. Hiei dodged, stepping just out of reach for her, which only ignited the curiosity further. He watched as it consumed her as his mind frantically tried to search for a way out.

"Or maybe you've got a scar under there? Something you don't want people to see? Or you just want to look like a bad-ass?" She made a grab for the headband, then, which Hiei, again, stepped away from.

She smiled. He could almost hear the words whip across her mind: _Challenge accepted._

Fuck.

Realistically, he _could_ leave. He could bolt out the patio door, but that would only lead him back into the apocalypse that was raging outside, and he'd only just gotten dry. He could lead her around the room using his dizzying speed, but that would just incite more questions. Questions he didn't want to answer just then. She knew he was a demon. That was all she should know for now.

For all intents and purposes, he was trapped.

Again she reached for it. Again, he stepped out of her way. Again and again, it happened, the two creating a dance of sorts around the small room as Ashley started laughing at the game they played. Knox stayed way out of their way, watching them, tongue lolling.

Finally having enough of it, Hiei caught her wrist and twisted, trying not to cause her harm, but caught her off-guard and off-balance, and the two went tumbling to the floor.

Suddenly, Ashley was beneath him and reaching for his headband. Quickly, he caught her wrists beneath his hands and pinned them on either side of her head.

Next thing he knew, her legs had found purchase as they wrapped themselves around his abdomen.

Surprised, Hiei released her wrists to reach for her legs. Immediately, she was trying to pull the headband off again. She pinched it, but in an instant he had her wrists pinned beneath his hands again.

His headband was slightly skewed, but it was still on.

Ashley howled with laughter, smiling up at him and crying she was laughing so hard. Her legs stayed around his torso. He could break the grip on her legs easily. But he didn't.

As she laughed, he watched her come alive. Her hands pinned beneath his, she couldn't swipe at the tears rolling down her cheeks, so she didn't try to struggle to get at them.

Slowly, she quietened, and finally blinked back the tears of mirth to find him staring at her.

"Well," she finally said, laughter still ringing in her voice. A deep blush had filled her cheeks at some point, and deepened as she stared up at him. "It seems we're at an impasse."

It was in that moment that he realized the shape of her beneath him, and noticed what position they were in, with her pinned beneath him and her legs still wrapped around his abdomen. What felt like an electric current hummed through him as he took her in. Honey blonde hair splayed out around her head, and her pulse thrumming to a rhythm that matched his own. Her eyes were the color of the rainclouds outside.

Suddenly, he found himself struggling to breathe normally.

The silence stretched between them, like a gravity that neither dared breach.

In an instant, he'd untangled himself from her and fled, muttering a faint, "I need some air," leaving her on the floor of the flat.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Thirteen -**_

* * *

 **Thank you to _Oddity Empress_ , _WistfulSin_ , _ZeroDarkNex14_ , and _Guest_ for reviewing on chapter twelve! If you like what you read, please review!**

 **Here's a look behind-the-scenes: This chapter has been in my head since the beginning. Originally it was supposed to debut around chapter eight, Hiei was supposed to disappear on her (what is now chapters 10-12), and then they were supposed to get together for real, but the plot underwent major changes. Now, here we are at chapter thirteen, and still a far-off ways from where Hiei and Ashley will be at by chapter twenty (what was originally chapter 13).**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	14. Stuck Together

Chapter Fourteen

 _Stuck Together_

"Come back inside."

The line was quiet. A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, the resulting thunder reverberating in her chest seconds later.

"You're drenched," she tried.

"Your point?" His words were abrasive, but she didn't break eye contact. It was Saturday morning, over twelve hours since Hiei had fled the apartment: face blushing just the barest amount, as he turned tail.

Ashley watched him from her porch sliding door. It was hard to see though, she could admit, from the downpours of rain that ran down the glass, but she could see Hiei's hunched form in the tree just outside her flat, trying to stay as close to the trunk as possible to hopefully avoid the rain.

It seemed he'd run out of luck. Even with the distance between them, his usually poofy hair was as wet as a dog, and the long sleeved shirt she'd lent him was sticking to his body. There was no way he wasn't wet at that moment. The typhoon had indeed made landfall.

"You're going to get yourself electrocuted," she was talking to him via cell phone, and in the current state of the weather it was practically as if he was talking to her under water. Logic stated that that phone should not still be working.

He didn't answer. But he didn't hang up, either. That seemed to be progress.

She decided to try a different tactic.

"I have food and your clothes are now dry and warm."

He made a sound of frustration in the back of his throat. Ashley quirked a smile as she imagined him rolling his scarlet eyes, throwing his whole body into the movement. "I'll keep the back door unlocked if you change your mind."

She knew he would. Or rather, she hoped he would.

Turning, she hung up the phone, praying that the seven thousand yen she'd spent on his new phone wouldn't be a waste of money, and sat back down atop her futon. The tv was on and fixed on the local news. It was in constant repeat of what was going on outside her window, but in predictions, too. The storm should be over within the next twenty four hours, but honestly it couldn't end soon enough. As much as she enjoyed the rain and getting the ability to read for hours at a time without being disturbed, the constant pouring noise of it, sounding like uncooked rice pouring into a bowl at all hours of the night practically had her pulling out her hair.

As it were, she made sure her hands stayed very far away from her hair so as not to tempt the idea, and opened the third Harry Potter book once more, _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_. She was in chapter nine, right where the Griffindor Quiddich team was about to have a match against Hufflepuff in the pouring rain, when there was a heavy shove and a squeak that came from her patio door, just a few feet to her left from where she sat.

Trying not to spook the poor guy, she barely glanced up and instead ignored him as Hiei slipped back into her flat and padded his way across the flat to the bathroom, dripping rain across her floor as he did.

Without a word the bathroom door shut with a soft _click_.

Finally glancing up, Knox was staring at her in curiosity, his expression matching her thoughts. Reaching out to scratch him behind the ear, she admitted, "I know, he's weird." Hauling herself up as the shower turned on, she muttered, "Let's fix him something though, yes?"

She placed her bookmark in her novel and set it aside.

Ashley didn't much feel like cooking at that exact moment, but Hiei had been outside getting drenched overnight, and if it had been her, she would have been ravenous. Yes, it was his fault for going out there in the first place, but perhaps she shouldn't have pushed him so hard? She'd just wanted to get a glimpse, after all, of whatever it was beneath his headband, but really, upon looking at the whole situation again, Ashley cringed. It hadn't been her business, and it was obvious she'd made him uncomfortable.

Setting those thoughts to the side before she dwelled on them any longer than was necessary, Ashley set about making a nice spaghetti. Surely he was amiable to that, and it was late enough in the morning that it wasn't too strange.

To be quite frank, she wasn't even sure what types of food he enjoyed eating. Now that they weren't necessarily a couple, fake or not, and he was more like a house guest that she couldn't get rid of, even if he usually kept to himself outside the flat, it occurred to her that she should at least ask him about his favorite foods to know what to feed him when he did come around.

Ashley knew it wouldn't be very often since he was more of a loner, but it was the least she could do to thank him. With the water boiling, she dumped the pasta into the pot.

Having talked with him that night at the diner, she knew she had been right: she really could die at any moment. Having some legion stalking her or some other nonsense put her a little on edge, but really, she was right. She really could keel over just by crossing the street, and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could really do. It was kind of him to do this, sure, but it wasn't like she could thank him in any way. And how long, exactly, was all this supposed to go on? Three weeks was virtually nothing, but what if it was still going on in a year when her teaching tenure was up and she went back to London? Would Hiei just go with her?

Cringing, she realized she didn't want that at all. He was nice enough, but whatever feelings she'd had all those weeks ago toward him she'd buried deep. She didn't want someone around her all the time who she liked like that and couldn't dream of having. As much as she was able to ignore it now, it would be torture if it was a long-term arrangement. Although, she realized, she would like to get to know him further, even if it was just to know his favorite food so she could try to cook it for him as a thank you.

Reaching up into her cabinets, Ashley tried to grasp the spaghetti sauce. It was all the way a the back. She knew she should probably get a chair to reach it, but stubbornness set in and she worked to reach it on the tips of her toes.

And really, her thoughts wandered back to the demon in her shower, if the two of them went back to London together, she'd rather it be-

A hand snaked around hers and pulled the spaghetti sauce down to eye level for her.

Pure surprise interrupted her thoughts; she hadn't even heard the water shut off or the door _click_ open as it did.

But there was Hiei, holding out the jar of spaghetti sauce. The crimson in his eyes nearly matched the crimson in his hand.

The _thank you_ was nearly out of her mouth when her stubbornness set in. "I could have gotten it, you know. I'm not _that_ short."

Hiei quirked a corner of his mouth. Almost a smile. "You looked like you were struggling," he replied, stalking back into the other room and leaving her to the pasta making.

Without glancing back at him, she muttered a quiet, "Thank you," and briefly wondered how good demons were at hearing things said beneath breath.

He'd changed back into his now-dry cloak and black pants. His hair was still wet, but not nearly quite so drenched. It stuck up in a way that looked like he'd taken a towel to it. "Hungry?" she asked over her shoulder, pouring in the sauce and stirring, not paying Hiei any mind with what he might have replied with.

Really, now that she was making this, she realized just how hungry she'd become as well. Even if he didn't eat, she would. She'd woken up before the sun that morning, or rather, pulled herself from the bed that she'd barely slept in after being kept up by the storm all night, and made breakfast early. It was now nearly six hours later, and even though spaghetti wasn't a traditional morning food, it would do.

By the time she forked the spaghetti into two bowls and brought them out to the _kotatsu_ , Hiei was already sitting there.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ashley realized _Harry Potter_ had been mis-placed. She'd left it with the book closed. Now it lay open, pages fluttering in the soft breeze that her standing fan created in the room.

Last she checked, Knox hadn't grown thumbs.

And Knox hadn't been there the last time she'd had this happen, either.

It was in that moment that a couple details clicked together, and an idea began formulating in her head.

"Do you mind if I read?" Ashley asked.

"Don't you have food to eat?" He didn't even ask what it was; just picked up the fork and started eating.

"I can multi-task," she replied evenly, going ahead and scooping up her book and sitting down opposite Hiei at the _kotatsu_.

He snorted in derision. "It's your home."

She didn't glance back up at him as she opened the thick novel back to where her bookmark was placed. It was one page off, but she didn't bother correcting it, knowing Hiei was watching her as she discreetly watched him.

They ate in relative silence, minus the weather report on the tv and the rain pounding the building around them. A few times Ashley chuckled, knowing she drew the attention of a certain demon across from her, but she ignored him completely.

By the time her spaghetti was gone and Hiei had decided to retire from the _kotatsu_ to lean against the far wall, one leg extended and the other bent at the knee in his signature way, Ashley spoke. "Oh, I always forget how great this book is." Bookmarking her page, she rose to her feet, gathering the empty dishes with her and took them to the kitchen to place in the sink. "I took the _Pottermore_ test once; it said I'm a Hufflepuff, and you know, I think that's right."

She was careful how she acted, how she spoke, and how she glanced at him. He was watching her intently, like a cat watching a mouse, and at that thought, her stomach did a little flip.

Continuing as she sat back down, she said, "Have you ever read it? _Harry Potter_?" She'd never been any good at acting, but she needed to get good, and fast. Or she might be found out.

Hiei did not move from his position. His eyes never left hers, but she knew he was studying her.

Finally, "No."

It was a soft _no_ , almost thoughtful, which was a complete 180 from his usual brusque manner, but she didn't comment on it.

"Then can I read you this? I think you'll really like it." She squirmed on her cushion in excitement, which was real. This wasn't acting. She was truly excited to share something she loved with this boy that was so hard to read.

He didn't respond, so she read.

" _Resigned to the fact that he would be the only third year staying behind again_ ," Ashley began reading, translating the English to Japanese. She was now in the middle of the Marauder's Map chapter, where Harry received the map from Fred and George. It was difficult, reading the sentence in her mind and then translating aloud, and the story telling came out broken and staggered, but Hiei didn't comment on it.

Eventually, she made herself comfortable against the far wall, and Knox settled down with his head on her lap.

Time passed slowly as she made her lumbering way through the words of Harry Potter. By the time she got to Harry's first lessons with Lupin to conjure the patronus, nearly an hour later a quick glance to the clock told her, Hiei finally interrupted her.

"That's not originally written in Japanese, is it?"

Surprised at his question, Ashley stuttered a quick, "N-No, it's not."

She couldn't read anything behind his expression, only that a moment later he replied with, "What does it sound like in the language it's in?"

That question caught her off guard. But no matter how many ways she turned his question over in her mind she couldn't figure out why he was curious about that.

Instead, she flipped a few pages back and read a few paragraphs in Japanese again. Then, she changed tactics, and read the same few paragraphs in her native tongue: English.

His expression didn't change, even as she did the right voices for her characters, and her own received pronunciation accent slipped out.

Mum used to read the books to her and Sophia before they went to sleep. Oliver swore he was too old for the books, but a few times when Ashley had to slip off to the loo she found her brother leaning against the wall outside their door listening.

She could feel a blush slipping across her face as she listened to her accent as she read. While speaking Japanese she had nearly eliminated it completely. Speaking the language she grew up with, however, it was like an old friend had come calling.

Ashley finished with, " _'She doesn't know,' said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. 'She's just trying to get us to talk to her again.'_ "

She glanced up. Hiei's expression hadn't changed. He continued to stare at her intently, watching her, and if she didn't know any better she might even say he wasn't thinking about anything behind those eyes of his. However, having spent the last three weeks with him flitting around, and then before that when they pretended to date, she'd gotten to know his expressions at least, and had an idea to what he was feeling at least.

And right now, she was nearly positive he was trying to figure her out.

Which only made her blush deepen.

"A-Are you liking me reading? Or would you rather me stop?" She asked, trying not to look at him and instead looked down at Knox who was dreaming on his back. Truthfully, she hadn't expected him to let her read aloud for as long as he did. She was almost positive that as soon as she had started he would have jumped in complaining about not wanting to hear her voice and to keep that to herself.

He hadn't though.

He'd let her read for almost an hour, and then had asked her to go back and read in English.

With the way he kept looking at the books she had around, she briefly wondered if he knew how to read at all.

She knew that demons came from a place called Demon World, but that was about the extent of it. Was it as developed as Earth was? Did he go to school as a child and then get this mediating job? Or was it more rural in nature?

She didn't dare ask.

"Keep doing whatever you want; it makes no difference to me," Hiei brushed her off, glancing back over towards the porch sliding glass doors.

That, however, told her he was okay with her continuing to read. So she did.

* * *

"Do you never listen to anything else?" Hiei's harsh tone caught her attention immediately, and she glanced up from the papers she graded. She'd put _Harry Potter_ away hours ago; Hiei had let her read aloud to him for almost two more hours before he'd casually muttered about her not having anything better to do than grate on his nerves. Trying to hide a knowing smile, she'd put the book away and taken out her students' work that she still needed to grade from the week before.

Gradually, she removed one of the earbuds from her ear, wondering if she'd left her music playing too loud again.

"What do you mean?" Ashley asked, keeping the music playing in her left ear.

He narrowed his eyes infinitesimally. "Every time I'm around you and you're listening to music, it's that instrumental stuff… that…"

Ashley knew immediately what he was talking about. "Piano?" she offered the word and he latched onto it.

"Yes! That. You're always listening to it."

His tone felt like an accusation, especially since the music was so dear to her.

"I'm sorry?" Ashley offered. "Could you hear it? I thought the volume was far enough down-"

He huffed a sigh. "Demons, if you don't already know, have excellent hearing." He sat forward, his straight leg curling under him. Shaking his head, he finally glanced up, his gaze softened. "You just… you always listen to it."

Communication really wasn't his strong suit. She didn't remove the last earbud from her ear, but she did put her pen down. The piano continued to play its sweet melodies in her ear, reminding her of pleasant memories.

The secret felt heavy within her, and a part of her wanted to keep it all to herself. But this person who sat across from her… maybe he could hold her secret, too, and not break it?

"That's because it's mine," she admitted, a blush immediately blooming across her cheeks. His expression, mixed between confusion and frustration, immediately told her he didn't get it. "It's my music. I made it. Or rather - I _played_ it," she knew she was starting to ramble, but found herself unable to stop. "I'd been playing all my life, and Mum wanted a record of some of my award-winning pieces so I recorded them, and then made me a copy."

Ashley trailed off, remembering the absolute joy her mother had had when she gave the CD to her at Christmas that year. One year later, she played her last competition.

Her dream came back to her: the one she often had where she sat at the piano for the last time and touched the keys one last time. She'd known it would be her last competition; school had gotten too crazy and she needed to focus on her degree. On top of that, living at the dorms provided no extra room for a piano and the music hall was all the way across campus. This would be the last time she sat at a piano in a while, she knew. Mum and Dad had one at their home; it was the one she used to practice on, but she wouldn't be going home any time soon, either. She needed to stay and focus on her grades.

She'd come in third that day at the competition.

Hiei never responded, or commented, so Ashley placed the earbud back in her ear and turned her attention back to grading.

"Why don't you play now?" he asked, his tone sharp. She really didn't want to remove the earbud again, so she didn't.

"It's been too long," she replied, her words equally as sharp. It really wasn't a topic she was comfortable talking about.

"That's no excuse."

"It's not an excuse!" she replied, pulling the earbud from her ear again and slamming her fist on the table. The sudden action surprised Hiei and his brows shot upwards, disappearing behind his headband. She forced herself to take a breath. "Sorry. But really. It's not an excuse. It's been too long, and I probably wouldn't be any good at it anymore anyway. Besides; it's not like I'm going to go out and buy a piano. I'm only going to be here for another nine months or something. It's fine."

"You can't hide behind your absurd fear of failure," he snapped, but his words were quieter, softer. Not gentle. Never gentle. Ashley was sure that "gentle" was not part of his vocabulary at all. But he said it in a way that told her he didn't mean to insult her, even though it was slightly insulting.

Not answering, Ashley put her earbud back into her ear, her lips pressing together to form a hard line.

He was right, of course. She knew that. But she didn't want to acknowledge what he said at all. He was just an annoying man who liked to make her life hell.

Try as she might, she couldn't find the concentration to grade.

* * *

Sleeping was an interesting arrangement.

By the time it had grown dark outside - or at least darker than it was at noon with the heavy rain falling - Ashley and Hiei had reached a point that neither of them had given any thought about as the day wore on.

Ashley realized what was about to happen as she started turning the lights down for the night.

"Um," Ashley stuttered. No way in the coldest reaches of Hell was she about to share a bed with this person.

"I'll take the floor."

Hiei made the decision before Ashley could even argue, taking an extra blanket and pillow and creating a little spot for himself over by the tv. He turned on his side, facing the wall, and that was the last Ashley heard from him.

He didn't snore, but Ashley was still wide awake long into the night, listening to the rain hammering against her patio door.

She was sure Hiei wouldn't try anything with her. Up to that point he rarely touched her at all; something told her he wouldn't try to touch her while she was unaware, but it was still an odd feeling to have the guy in the same room with her and so far away.

Eventually the rain slowed enough that she found peace, and sleep welcomed her into it's gentle embrace.

* * *

By morning, nothing of the typhoon remained except a light drizzle. Neither of them expected the three light knocks that came to her apartment door by ten.

Hiei was immediately at the door, tense but opening it.

Minamino stood on the other side, a light smile gracing his features.

"Minamino, what-?" Ashley began, but was immediately cut off by Hiei shutting the door in the redhead's face. "Hiei, there's no need to be rude!" she immediately stepped around him and opened the door again. Minamino looked massively embarrassed, so she invited him in, Hiei skulking off to one of the few corners she had in her flat like a pissed-off cat.

After making sure Minamino wasn't hungry and offering him tea, which he accepted, Ashley put the pot on and the two of them sat at the _kotatsu_. Hiei was still in a corner, sitting in his signature way.

"Hiei, you can't do this by yourself," Minamino chided over his shoulder. Eventually Ashley had asked what brought him out that way, to which he explained he might have a way to ease the burden on Hiei.

Hiei, of course, was pretending that the conversation did not exist. Even though it was taking place barely four feet from where he sulked.

"I don't even know what you're referring to," Ashley finally admitted. Minamino mentioned he could set up some sort of barrier around the apartment tower that would tell him when an intruder was near. Either he was a whiz at technology, or he was…

She immediately stopped that thought. Just because Hiei had turned out to be a demon didn't mean all his friends were, too.

Minamino turned back to her, a brow quirked. "Hiei, have you not told her?" His only response from the demon in her corner was a glare that could have melted stone. Minamino seemed either entirely used to Hiei's antics or unaware that Hiei offered such a scathing glare.

"I am a demon, Ashley. I'm sure Hiei has told you that he is as well-"

"Well, if I didn't she sure knows now," he scoffed.

Minamino continued, not bothering to acknowledge that Hiei had interrupted. "You may call me Kurama, Ashley. As Hiei has an affinity for fire, I have a talent for plants."

 _Fire… demon_? Ashley turned to look in Hiei's direction. He met her gaze, almost like an indignant child caught in a half-truth.

Moving her eyes back to Minamino - no, _Kurama_ \- she put the two together: _plant demon_?

"So, are all your friends demons?" Ashley finally asked Hiei, expecting some sarcastic reply.

What she got was Hiei sucking in a breath through his nose and looking away. "Not entirely. At least not in the sense you're thinking of."

"Wait."

Thinking back to his friends at the festival: Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, Yukina… How many of them were demons?

"So who all have I met is a demon that I didn't know about?" The question had slipped past her lips before she was able to think twice about whether that was appropriate. "Argh, sorry. No. That's not the right question; I'm sorry."

"No apology necessary, I can assure you," Kurama replied evenly with a gentle smile. He always seemed to put her at ease. "I'm sure this is all quite overwhelming. But I'm sure you are aware of why it's difficult for most of us to lead an open life."

She nodded, looking down at her hands. "I'm sorry for that, you know. I know it doesn't mean much just from me, but I'm sorry on behalf of humanity. I wish things were better."

Ashley couldn't bear to meet Hiei's gaze, which she could feel, but instead looked back up at Kurama as she twisted a loose thread on her sleeve.

He smiled in that gentle way of his. "Thank you for your kindness. But as I was saying, I can place a barrier around the apartment complex. By infusing the ivy with my own energy, I will know immediately when anyone passes through it that shouldn't. And it will allow you, Hiei, to get back to a normal life."

"Koenma convinced you to come, didn't he." It wasn't a question. Ashley was left wondering who, exactly, Koenma was, but didn't pause the conversation again to ask.

"Actually, it was Genkai." Another person Ashley wasn't familiar with. "She needs you working on the Legion and can't have you here as well."

"The old bat can use the others."

"You know you're the best at it."

The two were going back and forth for what felt like forever, referencing people that Ashley had never heard of.

Finally, she had had enough of it. "Hiei, I think it's a great idea." That shut the two of them up. "No, really, think about it. Apart from last night, you've been sleeping in the tree outside my apartment for how many weeks now? You need decent sleep. Besides that, you shouldn't have to look after me all the time. I can take care of myself, you know."

"Actually, against Dion, you can't," Kurama replied, looking a little abashed. "I have a solution for that too, however. It would grant you your freedom again."

Those words were a little too constricting. "I've been free this entire time. Hiei knows he can't control me."

An awkward silence spilled over the three of them until Kurama cleared his throat.

"I've got a way for us to know where you are. And it would allow for Hiei to be able to complete his work as well."

If it allowed Hiei to have a life again, and she could go and do as she pleased without having to report to anyone, it seemed to be a good idea. At least they would know if anything happened to her.

"I'll do whatever I can to help. This Legion stuff shouldn't put your entire life on hold, Hiei," she finally looked back at the demon leaning against her wall. It was odd to think of him as a fire demon. The color of his eyes seemed appropriate, however. "I can't take up your entire life. You do whatever you need to; I'll be fine."

Somehow, however, Kurama's comments regarding the Legion and Dion had put a doubt in her mind. Maybe they were as dangerous as Hiei let on. So as she said the words, they were as much for Hiei as they were for her confidence.

"Do whatever you want," he growled instead, looking away from her. The words hurt, much more than she thought they would. Hiei pulled himself to his feet and went to collect his sword, which he'd left next to the patio door. "I'm going to see Genkai, then." He pulled open the patio door, paused for a moment, just a brief moment, and then disappeared, blurring out of sight.

 _Literally fucking disappeared_.

The look on Ashley's face must have been amusing, because Kurama chuckled. "He has incredible speed, doesn't he? I have a feeling he hasn't shared much about himself with you yet?"

Steeling herself, she turned back to Kurama. "You could say I need a crowbar to pry him open."

The smile Kurama wore told her that he knew exactly what she was talking about. "I'll get the plants set up on my way out. But you shouldn't worry about Hiei. He usually likes to shoulder things on his own."

Ashley pulled herself to her feet and shut the patio door behind where Hiei had last stood. "I've noticed," she muttered.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Fourteen -**_

* * *

 **First, I am so sorry this is a week late! (Follow me on tumblr, (o-dragon05) for updates if things will be late. You can search the tag On Dating a Demon to see updates related to the fic.) But I'm going to make it up to you guys and post Chapter Fifteen tomorrow. So, two chapter update this weekend! Last weekend was a mess and this week was a mess so I figured two updates were in order this weekend. Plus, it keeps me on schedule for the fic as a whole.**

 **I'm so happy how this chapter turned out. After I wrote it back in November (which ended up combining several scenes I'd had in my head since this fic was first imagined back in August), I realized I needed a lot of editing to make it what I wanted it to be before posting it. I also have been wanting to share Harry Potter with Hiei since the beginning, AND I was able to find a way to insert the little tidbit of information that Ashley is Hufflepuff! I don't think I've mentioned that before. I picture Hiei as a Slytherin, too, and I've reblogged some Hufflepuff x Slytherin interactions on my tumblr that I love and can totally imagine Ashley and Hiei saying.**

 **This chapter makes On Dating a Demon cross the most words of any fic that I've written on this site! My other long fic was One Night (an Avatar: The Last Airbender fic that I wrote back in 2005. Please _don't _go read it; I plan to re-write it eventually and you can read that version if you really want to), and Lordy, this fic is going to be so much longer than that one ever was. I mean, I've reached chapter fourteen with ODAD and passed One Night, and that fic took me 20 chapters to reach 58K. So.**

 **Thank you to _WistfulSin_ , _Oddity Empress_ , _Kristy Himura_ , _LostinThought, JohnGreenGirl_ , and _Guest_ for reviewing on Chapter Thirteen! I also received some amazing fanart from the lovely _WistfulSin_ that she did of Ashley, and I want to give her a shout out. THANK YOU! You guys are literally the best and make my day every time I hear from you.**

 **And now I'm going to go watch _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_ and drink some hot tea. See y'all tomorrow!**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	15. Grin and Bear It

_**Content Warnings: Mentions of sexual harassment**_

Chapter Fifteen

 _Grin and Bear It_

"I don't really think that it has anything to do with what _you_ want necessarily. I think it has to do with what the universe - or god - or whatever you call it - wants to do with you. Why did it create you? I mean, obviously, your parents were banging, but _why you_."

The topic of conversation hadn't been one that either of them had purposefully brought up. It wasn't a conversation that had been born to have philosophical purposes. Neither Hiei or Ashley had set off on this path when Hiei had stormed into the flat disgruntled with how his day had gone. Somehow between asking "Shit day, huh?" and Hiei launching into exactly _how much_ of a shit day it had been, they had discovered themselves talking about purpose and the higher-powers of the universe/God, and how the fuck do you figure that shit out.

"But if a higher power doesn't exist," Hiei countered after taking a swig of his soda, "and it's all up to you, but everything you do feels empty, how are you supposed to find your purpose when you're so wrapped up in other bullshit?"

They were talking about his current job as a mediator, of course. Ashley had figured out early in the conversation that this 'purpose' that Hiei sought, was something that he'd been trying to find for awhile. It was something that she'd struggled with in college, too, before just giving up fighting it all and just focusing on her grades.

"Okay, so what do you _like_ to do? What brings you joy?"

Hiei leveled a glare at her, but there was no malice behind it. In fact, Ashley's stomach did a little flip as he did. He sat in his usual corner by the door, soda bottle dangling from his fingertips, one leg straight out and the other cocked at the knee. Ashley sat at the _kotatsu_ , her grading long-since forgotten. Summer break just weeks away and her students were already beginning to lose their focus, as evidenced by their piss-poor assignments that they kept turning in. It was depressing work that often left Ashley frustrated; this break was more welcome than Hiei could possibly know.

"I enjoy fighting, and proving myself in battle." The words were soft, showing his vulnerability. They were familiar. Once, a lifetime ago, they sat in the same room sharing a meal, barely more than strangers, and he told her something similar. How far they had come in just a few months.

"Okay, obviously you don't enjoy the mediator job, but maybe you can find something that's linked to battles? The world's going to shit anyway; I'm sure you can find something where you can use your talent."

Although Hiei's glare was blank without any malice, Ashley could pick out the barest incredulity behind his gaze. "Uzai," he muttered, seemingly lost in shock.

"Excuse you." Ashley sat back, putting her pen down. "Nothing that I said called for that."

"Actually -"

She cut him off, quick to the draw. "What?"

He paused, as if to regain his composure after she cut him off like that. "That was a very assuming thing to say. I'm entirely entitled to call you that."

"Even if it was assuming-" she tried to say.

"It was." He assured her, taking another sip of his soda. "I've already thought of all that."

She huffed a sigh through her nose, "Don't call me _uzai_." Uzai, meaning a pain in the ass.

"I will call you anything I want."

"Okay," she relented, seeing where she could take this. "Then I get to call you a cuntpuddle."

His soda bottle was away from his lips immediately. "What the hell does that mean?"

"An unfailing bastard," she pronounced each word as if she was immensely proud of her nickname for him.

His answer, however, came swiftly. "No."

A heaviness had descended upon the room - the exact opposite from what she had intended. "Alright," Ashley backpedaled, wondering exactly how she'd managed to offend him with that. Of course, there was still _so much_ that she didn't know about the young man sitting across the room from her. "How about _cockwomble_?" He lifted a brow, bottle hesitating before his lips. "It means you're a useless, bumbling fuckwit."

"That'd be more appropriate for Kuwabara," Hiei mused. "Also, no."

She huffed, crossing her arms, knowing she fully looked like a five year old not getting her way. "Then don't call me _uzai_."

Hiei waited only half a moment before pronouncing the word once more. "Uzai."

That got Ashley's irritation rising. _Fine_. "Cockwomble."

Eyes narrowed. "Fuck you."

"Fuck you, too." She spat back at him.

"Alright, then, you want to play this game? What is your purpose then? It can't be teaching your students when they keep getting grades like _that_."

Her mouth fell slack. "That is a terrible thing to say. And when the hell did you look at my grading?"

"It's easy enough to guess at with the expressions you make when you do it."

"You're not supposed to be able to read me that well. I can't even read you that well."

"You are terrible at hiding how you really feel," Hiei replied, which only made Ashley blush. What else had he seen within her emotions? "But really, if we're talking about my purpose, let's talk about your purpose. What are you put on this pitiful world to do besides give shit advice?"

"That's mean." Her accusation held no blame; Hiei merely shrugged. "I don't know really. I've always loved the piano. I used to want to play as a concert pianist."

"Okay, so you're halfway there. Why didn't you?"

Ashley groaned, the truth hiding behind her lips. It was a stupid reason, really, when she thought about it now. "I wanted to spite my parents. They wanted me to get a degree I could actually use. Look at me now," she motioned to her student's papers, to which Hiei snorted.

"You could still go back, you know," he said, his words thoughtful. "You can still do it, if that's really what you want to do."

Refusing to let him play pity-sulking-party, Ashley rolled her eyes, her phone vibrating against the _kotatsu's_ table. One quick look told her it was her mother. Before picking up the line, she leveled a finger at Hiei, who was already reaching for the iPod and earbuds of Ashley's, subdued mirth twinkling in his scarlet eyes. "Don't play that game, Hiei. You play it, I play it right back: Both of us are young; you can find your purpose, too." With that, she swiped the phone, answering it and greeted her mother.

"Ashley, you're speaking Japanese," came her mother's voice.

A quick roll of her eyes, and sneaking a glance at Hiei, who's attention was focused on scrolling through the music, and she replied in English. "Sorry; hi, Mum! I miss you!"

They'd been talking for a good hour about life and just catching up on everything: what had been going on with the company, how the wedding planning was progressing for Sophia and Daniel. Her mother had apparently had some tests come back abnormal and was getting more tests done; nothing serious, she assured her daughter.

Hiei settled into the music he listened to. Even though Ashley couldn't hear it - he kept it turned down nearly as far as he could take it - she guessed at what he was listening to. It was what he almost always listened to since they had had a conversation about it back during the typhoon. The fact that that day was two weeks ago was baffling.

Eventually the conversation turned towards what her Mum had actually called to tell Ashley about, and after a few moments of it, Ashley found herself unable to sit still, nervous energy settling in her legs. She stood and began pacing, just to try to get some of it out.

"It's just for a day," Mum said over the receiver. "And they'll come to you, so it's not like you'll have to fly out somewhere and interrupt your schedule. Jacob can even do it on a Saturday."

Ashley pinched the bridge of her nose. "And remind me, what this is for again?"

"Wright United has surpassed Techni Mobile in assets. We are now listed as one of the biggest firms in Europe. This is a huge deal, Ashley Lynn! You should be more excited!"

"I am, don't worry," she replied dryly. Yes, she was excited. This was a huge deal for her Dad and Oliver as well, especially since he was due to take over the company at some point soon. But this was exactly one of the things she had come to Japan to get away from: the company, and all the bells and whistles that came with it. "And I'll do it, but can you give me his number or something? I don't want to be waiting around for him to contact me when I can schedule it myself."

European Business Magazine wanted to do a photo spread and an interview with each of the family members, Ashley included, of course, even though she was nearly six thousand miles away.

There went a Saturday for her: time that she could be spending traveling or sightseeing. She would now have to give back to Wright United Technologies.

"Don't sound so miserable," her Mum chided. "This is good for us."

Ashley followed Hiei's gaze out the window. Two weeks since they had talked about what was always playing in her earbuds and two weeks since Kurama had been there, introducing his idea for the plants to play a roll in protecting her. At least they were pretty to look at. Her patio looked like a jungle now. It had looked even more like a jungle after Kurama had had his way with it, but Ashley had taken a pair of shears once she determined that a little upkeep wouldn't affect their protection methods at all, and had groomed them into presentable looking things. Her patio actually looked like someone lived there now, rather than the barren slab of concrete it had been before.

And the complex itself had had a greenery makeover. It looked like the landscaping crew actually cared beyond the little garden they had.

In the first week, Ashley had worn the little seeds that Kurama had given her in her pocket, vowing she wouldn't be a rebel and remove them even though it was really none of their business where she went. Kurama had been adamant in assuring her that having the seeds on her body didn't necessarily tell him exactly where she was, but more of a general area. A quick game of hide and seek, with Kurama vowing he wouldn't use his enhanced senses, proved he was right. They did give a general location, and nothing more.

For the first few days she didn't hear anything from Hiei. He didn't come around, and he didn't try to reach out to her, leaving her feeling empty. Even though she was "protected" now by the plants (however protected one could really be with the help of plants - to say she was still skeptical was an understatement) - and she didn't have to worry about a certain fire demon following her around, she still found herself missing him, as absurd as that thought was. Eventually, after nearly four days of his absence, Ashley had typed out a simple, _-It's not like I don't want you around.-_ And although it was just a simple statement, it felt vulnerable, as if she was admitting to more than the text implied.

Immediately Hiei had started showing up in the evenings, no words exchanged about her text. He would show up on her patio, fighting with the greenery, right after she got off work, and would leave before she went to sleep. It wasn't like she used the seeds while she was at home anyway; there was no point that she could see. If she was within the apartment barrier, and anyone looking would be off-put by it, what was the point of wearing the seeds inside? Especially if Hiei was near?

She didn't want to admit it, but his presence was like a steady calm when he was near. Even now, even with him sitting across the room from her, it was a comfort having him near.

 _When_ , exactly, that feeling had settled within her, evaded her memory completely.

"Fine, I'll call Jacob," Ashley finally said, relenting to her mother.

Yes, it would be good for the company, and it might even bring in more business.

"Thank you, love. Oh, also-" Just as Ashley was getting ready to hang up the phone, her Mum caught her attention. A slight groan slipped from between Ashley's lips as she danced a little in the middle of her flat; she really needed to pee.

"Bradley Eckhart will be in town as well." That name dropped her stomach and she froze. Hiei caught the movement and glanced up, watching her with narrowed eyes.

Bradley Eckhart was one of the most important business partners that her dad dealt with on a daily basis. Without his business, the company likely would not have grown into the powerhouse that it had become over the years. But all of that aside, Bradley Eckhart was known for the uncomfortable situations he often put women in. More than once he had made Ashley feel uncomfortable, bringing her into his office and tucking her hair behind her ear with a gentle, "You have such pretty hair." Sometimes he would even let her sit in his spinning office chair. It was one of the nice ones with leather, unlike her Dad's. She would sit in the chair and look over the London skyline. When the day came that he came to stand behind her in the chair and griped her shoulders firmly, Ashley made an excuse about needing to find Sophia and escaped.

Even as a child of barely ten, she was never sure exactly what was wrong, only that she didn't like him. And whenever she had to visit the office with her siblings, Eckhart was almost always around. She and Sophia had made a pact when they were young that they would always be buddies in the office, and go to the bathroom together so if anything happened they wouldn't be alone.

Nothing ever happened, of course, but they were always careful.

"He's a good business partner," their dad had said when they told him of their discomfort around him. "I'll talk to him. In the meantime, just make yourself scarce whenever you feel uncomfortable."

Now, thirteen years later, Ashley knew that wasn't the correct response, but it had been the early millennium years, and Dad had been trying to grow his company. She couldn't fault him for that, but she certainly had never forgotten that conversation.

These days, Sophia rarely visited the corporate office, preferring to hole herself away in the House, and Ashley wanted nothing to do with the company anyway. She'd always had a talent for technology and knowing exactly what was wrong with devices, but that was one of the things that pushed her away from the company the fastest: she was good at it, but it brought her no joy.

All that aside, Bradley Eckhart was coming into town. "Will you have dinner with him over there? I know he visits Japan some, but you could even show him around." Mum never learned of how uncomfortable Eckhart had made her and Sophia. It was better, in their child minds at the time, to spare her that worry when Dad had "taken care of it." "It would be good networking, and it would strengthen our relationship with his company."

 _Good networking_. Even though Ashley had told her mother countless times that she wanted no part in the company, her mother was always trying to push her towards it anyway.

Ashley met Hiei's gaze. Perhaps he could go with her. He was around all the time these days and she remembered his demeanor when Kurama had come and told him that he was no longer needed in her protection. She could see he registered the question in her eyes and quirked a brow.

"I'll think about it. Can I bring a date?" she asked, gaze never leaving Hiei's.

"I don't see why not. Again, it would be good networking, so I would say it's alright. He'll contact you in a few days. He should be in town just after Jacob leaves. You have his number, right?"

Ashley could see Hiei's face morph in a hesitant question. He could obviously hear them speaking, but the entire conversation with her Mum had been in English, which he didn't understand a word of.

"Yeah, I have it," Ashley replied quickly. "And that sounds fine to me. Anyway, I need to go. I love you."

Once they hung up the phone, Ashley placed the phone on the table, motioning to Hiei to wait a moment, and raced to the bathroom. Once she returned just a few minutes later, she sat back down at the _kotatsu_ across from where Hiei lounged against the wall.

"What's wrong?" he was already on the defensive.

Ashley sighed, pulling out her pony tail and raking her fingers through her hair. Avoiding his gaze, she asked, "Feel like being my boyfriend once more?"

* * *

"Ugh, Ashley, I'm so sorry you have to deal with that wanker," Sophia said through Skype. Two years previously, over the course of winter break, Ashley had helped Sophia and Daniel set up Skype in the old drawing room of the house, which was where Sophia sat currently, perched in an old armchair, looking very out of place among the decorations of the house which was older than their mother.

Hiei had flitted off somewhere for the night. Ashley swore she was never going to get used to him sprinting off like he did. It was like he ceased to exist. Her eyes couldn't follow the movement at all. By the second time she'd seen him do it she finally found the courage to ask if he was teleporting.

For a moment, Ashley could have sworn her skin was melting off her face from the intensity of the glare that Hiei delivered. The only reply that followed was a curt "No," and that was the end of that conversation.

It was only Minamino - no, _Kurama_ (his correct name was another thing she was trying to get used to) that explained he was sprinting, but had incredibly fast speed, even for a demon.

Hesitantly, she had asked Hiei if she could see more of what he could do, something telling her in the back of her mind that he wouldn't oblige, but she found her courage and asked anyway, barely able to look at him from beneath her lashes, her heart beating a tattoo in her chest.

Really, there was no reason to be nervous at all. None.

But she was, she finally admitted to herself. Why? She couldn't say, but Hiei had denied her request with a short, "You don't need to concern yourself with that," while keeping his gaze fixed outside her window.

Strangely, she had been disappointed, and tried to avoid bringing up the topic altogether, but still found herself wondering what all her fire demon could do.

 _Her_ fire demon. _He doesn't belong to you like an object!_ And he only stuck around her… to what? To protect her from some imaginary demon out to kill her for Hiei's past decisions? That same imaginary demon who supposedly couldn't pass through the barrier that Kurama had created for her. Why, exactly, Hiei hung around these days was a mystery to her completely, besides the text she'd sent him those days after the typhoon, there was no reason for his sudden reappearance in her life. Again.

Not that she minded; it was nice having his company around, and more often than not she found herself feeling slightly nervous around him. For what reason, she didn't have a clue. It was Hiei, after all. Brusque, abrupt, sarcastic Hiei.

As it were, however, Hiei was gone for the night, two days after she'd had the conversation with her mother. Fourteen hours after Jacob had called to arrange the photo shoot and interview. It would be on Saturday, in the morning. Like clockwork, or more like he was telepathic, Eckhart had called exactly three minutes after she'd hung up with Jacob. The coincidence was almost too much, and raised the gooseflesh down her neck.

The photo shoot would be on Saturday, in the morning, and the dinner with Eckhart would be in the evening. Apparently, Jacob was interviewing Eckhart for a companion article to the company's, and Eckhart had thought it would be a "lovely idea" for them all to get together for dinner. Eckhart's treat of course, he insisted.

"I will be bringing a guest," Ashley declared when Eckhart had stopped to take a breath. "My boyfriend, Hiei."

"Well isn't that a surprise," Eckhart had replied, feigning shock through the receiver. "You've barely been in japan for four months and you've already met your significant other? You know, you can slow down. You shouldn't be in a rush for these sorts of things."

He really did make her skin crawl. She could never say anything without him injecting some of his so-called "wisdom" into the conversation.

Saturday was bound to be bloody fantastic.

Behind Sophia, a candle moved off a side table and dropped to the floor. On it's own volition.

"Busy day?" Ashley asked instead of replying directly to Sophia. This kind of activity with the House was not abnormal.

Sophia replied by rolling her eyes for the camera dramatically, and bending to pick up the candle and set it back on the table. "Emma says hello."

"Hello, Emma," Ashley said aloud, only half as enthusiastically as she spoke to Sophia. Truly, nothing was there in the room with Sophia. Nothing and no one. How Sophia was able to determine who was who in the household and distinguish between the five spirits was beyond Ashley's range of knowledge.

"It really is obvious, at least these days," Sophia replied, cutting Ashley off, not that she minded. "I mean, how many signs are we up to these days? I don't have my notebook with me, but um, let's see here…" she trailed off as she leaned back into her armchair and began counting off events on her fingers like a child might. "There's the clocks, which were the first sign. Then the writing on the wall began at the same time that the whisperings came. Then the electricity flickerings, and just in the last few weeks or so have they started pushing items off the tables. Grandmother's old vase was pushed last week. No idea who did that."

Ashley wasn't listening. "Can I see the writing?"

Sophia paused. "Um, yeah, I'll get a picture to you. But I'm guessing that's not why you called."

Truthfully? No. That wasn't why Ashley had called at all, however, it would be nice to at least be able to picture this obscure "writing" whenever Isla or Sophia mentioned it. Ashley shook her head. "You've got me there. I am curious, but it's not the sole reason I'm calling.

"I was wondering if you could ship me a dress. One of the old dresses, maybe? There's no time to go out shopping this soon before dinner. Especially with work right now."

"Are you trying to show off for your boyfriend?" Ashley internally flinched at the word. Hiei had said he would be her boyfriend for the evening even though Ashley had masterfully dodged his questions about why she had suddenly become so tense during her conversation with her Mum. "Or, are you trying to tell Eckhart to back off?"

"C. All of the above," Ashley replied, already having two dresses in mind. "I can't decide between the red with wine flowers and the blue."

Sophia thought on it for only a moment before declaring, "Blue. Definitely blue. Was it ever really a question?"

Even though they a few years apart in age, it helped that they were similar in personality. "Well, I just couldn't decide."

"Really? The red is way more sensual than the blue. But the blue is like royalty. Plus, you slay in that dress." Sophia replied with a wink. The candle tipped off the side table again. Again, Sophia replaced the candle on the table.

"I also wanted to ask you," Ashley began, drawing out her words and stumbling before she finally found the right phrasing. "Have you spoken with Oliver recently?"

Immediately, Ashley could see Sophia tense. She sat a little straighter, and her hands clenched in her lap. "I have," she offered stiffly.

"And what do you think? It's bollocks, right?"

Sophia sniffed, not looking directly at the camera. "Well, I will agree that demons are causing too much upheaval in the world, right when we need peace ourselves, but Oliver is going about it the wrong way altogether." Ashley could at least see where Sophia was coming from. The woman in front of her had always loved history, even the messy bits. Perhaps that was why she loved the House so much. It was part of their family's history. It was personal history.

"Besides, you don't need to worry about Oliver, Ashley. Dad is trying to convince him his ideas are too extreme."

"Wait," Ashley cut her off before she could say anything else. "Too extreme? He was just mouthing off some rhetoric to me before. It's the stuff he likely found on a blog somewhere. What are you talking about " _his ideas"_?"

Sophia raised her hands in surrender. "Look, Ashley, I'll be honest with you: I've been trying not to listen too much to Oliver these past few months. It's like he joined a cult or something and got brainwashed, so I don't really have a good idea of what he's spouting. Dad spends way more time grooming him to become CEO of the company, but Dad says it's bad, and definitely not something we want our image to reflect.

"If you want advice, don't spend your time worrying about it too hard. Enjoy your time in Japan. You'll never get another experience like this."

Ashley pulled in a breath. "I know you're right, but I'm still worried about him."

Sophia, always mothering anyone who would let her, wore a tight, sad smile. "I am too."

* * *

"That's it, now turn - turn - turn - don't look at the camera, love."

Jacob had been the family photographer for articles with Wright United for years, and he was only a few years older than Ashley herself. The number of times they had ended up working together for an article made him practically like family, minus his very American accent, and he always delivered stunning photographs.

Ashley knew his style well, and the type of images he liked to go for. So she just acted for the camera, smiling and having a grand time in the park that Jacob had picked out to be their location for the day. In the middle of the urban jungle and skyscrapers that lined every side, it was a small respite, the greenery providing a nice escape from the bustle of city life.

Even with the stifling heat that Tokyo had adopted for the summertime, Ashley still wore jeans with a light blouse to match. The reason had less to do with what the weather had decided to do and more along the lines of what the article was for. It was a professional piece for the company so she, one, had to look professional, and two, didn't want to show off her legs for the camera. Millions of people read these articles, and there would be a copy of it on their digital site. There was no way she was wearing shorts, even when the weather was like it was.

Every so often, usually as Jacob would move Ashley into her next position, Ashley would glance up and scan the team of people who hung back letting Jacob do his work. Hiei was back there somewhere, usually around the monitor that would flash the image on a screen before the next would appear.

His arms crossed over his chest, Ashley could tell he was tense. Perhaps it was being out in the open like this, or maybe he just didn't like large crowds. But the difference between him and the others was stark; how she'd missed it before she couldn't quite find, but maybe it was because she now knew he was a demon that it was obvious.

He was still of average height, but his body was defined in ways that it wasn't with others. The biceps of his arms and the pectorals of his chest strained against the black button-up he wore, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was more built than anyone else in the crowd, and he looked sturdy too. The humans that moved around him gave off every image of frailty, but Hiei looked more like a workhorse. A workhorse who had seen his fair share of shit.

And it was to be expected, really, as he'd let her know after she'd hung up with her mother. He'd come to sit at the _kotatsu_. She'd be out in the open, he'd told her, and if anything happened, he would be risking his anonymity as well.

How she wanted to close the distance between them at that moment. Take his hand in hers, feel what it felt like, but she kept her distance. Whatever they were at that point, they were not dating, and she had no right to harbor these feelings toward him.

"We can't live in fear and make all our decisions based on that fear, right?" Really, it was something Mum had told her when she'd been bullied back in middle school, but it seemed to connect with Hiei, and he'd relented.

At that memory, almost as if he was in her mind itself, Hiei glanced up from the monitor, and met her gaze from across the distance that was between them. Immediately, Ashley's stomach dropped and filled with nerves, and she only found herself able to hold his gaze for a moment until she had to look away, flustered.

She could still feel Hiei's gaze on her as Jacob moved her into the next position.

Ashley tried not to watch Hiei from across the crowd, but every so often, she found herself catching his eye and looking away just as quickly. Soon enough, Jacob ushered her into two armchairs that had been set up in the park for the photo shoot. Before they began Jacob had explained to Ashley that they would be doing the interview for the article and taking a video of the interview to edit together to create a video to go on their page. So while they could edit the video, she knew she needed to get her words correct the first time.

Their lawyer, Winston, had once coached her three times a week for a month before college. Only say good things about the company. Any personal opinions, keep them to yourself. Only comment on things that the CEO, her father, had made public. Keep herself in a good light. Any controversial topics, stay away from completely. The laundry list of rules always made her brain hurt just thinking about them all.

"So," Jacob began in English, getting comfortable in his chair and crossing his legs at the knee. "Tell us about your time here in Japan. What are you doing over here so far away from your family?"

Someone brought her tea, which she accepted readily, as they did with Jacob. It was like they were back in England… but in Japan.

Ignoring the design choice, she opened up about her job and the adventures she'd had so far, leaving out the dating prank that she and Hiei had started on, as well as everything to do with Dion and her current predicament. By the end of the article, she would be just a normal young adult exploring the world by teaching English abroad, and not a young adult exploring the world by teaching English abroad while also avoiding death and dismemberment by a crazy demon bent on destroying her life because of something her faux-boyfriend did years ago.

Yeah, totally normal.

"Now, Ashley. Your brother, Oliver, is engaged, as well as your sister. The wedding dates have been set for one year, and two years out, respectfully. Do you see love on the horizon for you? Are you seeing anyone?"

For a moment, Ashley entertained the idea of telling him that yes, she was seeing Hiei, until she realized that that was no longer their Truth and they were again just putting on a show. "No," she replied instead. "I'm not seeing anyone."

"Well, there's gotta be someone you have your eye on. Maybe in this crowd even?" If he didn't feel like family, Jacob might be good looking to her. He wore his red curly hair long, long enough that he usually had to brush the curls out of his eyes and away from his square-rimmed glasses. He was tall and lean and dressed well, even casually. A dusting of freckles fell across his nose and cheeks and when he smiled or felt embarrassed about something, he would look away. He was talented: one of the best photographers that worked for himself and ran his own company. By Ashley's age she'd started his own company that several magazines used several times every month. He was incredible, and knew what he wanted to do with his life, but he was like a brother.

Ashley caught Hiei's eye, her stomach dropping into nerves before he turned and walked away. "There's someone," she admitted softly, turning back to Jacob next to her with a gentle smile. "But I don't think my feelings would be reciprocated."

* * *

When Mum had first told Ashley about the photo shoot and dinner, Ashley had called Kurama almost immediately. He seemed the best person to help her in this moment of need: being a demon himself and working for the corporate world. Surely he knew a thing or two about finding a suit for a demon who was pretending to be human but knew absolutely nothing about being human.

Kurama had come through.

Ashley had asked Hiei to come over after the photo shoot. He'd disappeared into the crowd during her interview, not being able to understand a word of it anyway, but had reappeared via her porch as soon as she returned home without a word.

It didn't take much for him to get ready; just a quick shower and then he was ready to pull on the pieces to the suit. Ashley, however, after showering, pulling back her hair into a loose bun and donning her makeup, took nearly an hour. Sophia had been able to overnight the dress to Ashley, which was truly a blessing; one less thing to worry about.

It had been one of her favorite dresses. The one she had worn to the company Christmas party back in college. Royal blue all the way through, and high-necked so no cleavage showed. The only decoration was the beading from the torso to the neckline, but it was breathtakingly gorgeous, and nearly two thousand pounds in cost. It was likely the most expensive thing she owned, but it was worth it; she always felt like a queen while wearing the dress.

"Well, what do you think? Shall I do?" She asked as she stepped out from the bathroom, in the space between the kitchen and the _kotatsu_.

As she did, her breath caught. Hiei was dressed in the suit: black button-up with sharp black slacks and a jacket that fit him perfectly. His hair he wore in his usual way: messy and looking like he just stepped out of a wind tunnel, but he was drop-dead handsome in that suit. Kurama had done well.

At that moment, Ashley just wanted to forget all about this damned dinner and rip off his clothes herself, but she instead pulled her lips into a line, being careful not to smudge her lipstick.

As soon as his crimson gaze turned from the tv to meet hers, her heart raced into a gallop and a warm heat settled in her belly. His stare was intense, and he looked like he was waging his own battles, too, his eyes roaming over her body. This, she realized, she didn't mind at all.

 _But they weren't dating._

Sucking in a breath, she steeled herself. _This is just for tonight._

Still.

"You look nice," she muttered when he didn't say anything, and she realized she wasn't ready to go quite yet.

Closing the distance between them, Hiei looked her up and down once more. "You don't look half bad, either," he said in his brusque way.

Ashley was reminded of the first time they got into each other's space like this. It had been months ago when he'd come to her apartment in the rain and she'd gotten in his face about behaving himself and respecting her or something. Then, just as they were now, Hiei stood over her, but unlike before, Ashley wasn't pushing her weight around. Now, she stood so close she could feel his natural warmth rolling off his body. She tried to ignore her racing heart, tried to ignore the urge she felt to close these last few inches and just kiss him already, tried to ignore the desire she felt for wanting to feel his body press against hers, tried to ignore just how close he was to her... She realized this was the closest they had ever been without wanting to strangle the other.

Instead of the tension they had between them months ago, things were different between them now; charged. When the change had occurred, Ashley wasn't sure, but she was positive she didn't want it to disappear.

"What are you thinking?" she finally broke the silence between them. In her clutch, her phone buzzed; likely the driver of Eckhart's town car letting them know he was downstairs. Ashley didn't make a move to check it.

The anticipation nearly destroyed her. Hiei didn't dare come close to touching her, hands shoved in his pockets, but he searched her eyes, his own flitting back and forth between hers as he tried to figure out something in that brain of his.

"You never explained to me why you don't want to go to this dinner alone."

The disappointment that flooded her body was nearly fatal, she was sure. Sucking in a breath, she didn't step back but instead stayed exactly where she stood.

"You've been protecting me, right?" She asked. It was rhetorical, but Hiei nodded once nonetheless. "Well, I need a protector tonight." Quickly, feeling the phone vibrate in her clutch once more, she summarized how Eckhart had made her feel uncomfortable in the past and how she was helpless to do anything about it. About halfway through explaining the situation, Hiei stepped back and ran a hand through his hair, tension suddenly gripping his body.

"Why did you even agree to this in the first place?" he snapped, his eyes burning like coals.

She knew his anger was not directed at her, but she still snapped back. "Sometimes you don't have a choice in these things. He's an important part of the company. Unless I'm sick with something, I can't miss a dinner like this."

She didn't give him a chance to respond to that. "We are - no. _I_ am late and need to go. I would like for you to come with me. Not only as a buffer from Eckhart," she thought back to all the times she'd been with Emmett back in college and the other guys at a party would back off when they learned she was with someone already. "But also, I feel safe when I'm around you," Ashley finally admitted, rolling her lips together and glancing away after she did. She could feel the heat flooding her cheeks at that admission, and the embarrassment that was right on its heels, but she continued. "I feel like I can conquer any situation. Even the tough ones.

"So, that's why I don't want to go to this dinner, and that's why I asked you, too. But the town car is downstairs, and while I'd certainly like for you to come with me, it's your choice." She shrugged her shoulders and headed for the door, half expecting him to stay in her flat while she walked out.

Yes, she should have told him all the details immediately, but a part of her realized that by keeping the details from him, she had now entrapped herself in the situation and he couldn't try to talk her out of it. The dinner was something that needed to be done, regardless of how uncomfortable the whole thing made her.

She was nearly to the car downstairs when she nearly jumped out of her skin, feeling a hand brush against the small of her back. Looking up, however, reassured her. Hiei was there, by her side. He didn't bother to say anything to her, there, or during the ride into Tokyo, but at some point during the ride, his knee came to rest against hers. It was a small gesture, but calmed her racing heart anyway. This dinner was going to be the hardest test she'd had to face in awhile.

It was to be in one of the skyscrapers that overlooked the city. Fifty two stories up, and Ashley was sure she could see her flat from the restaurant. The restaurant that had been rented out to accommodate the four people that would be sitting at the round table situated in the middle of the room. Windows encapsulated the walls completely, creating the image as if they were floating above of the sea of lights below them. Even a grand piano sat in a corner, its player tapping out a slow jazz.

As approaching footsteps rounded the corner of the entrance, a low whistle announced his presence, making them spin.

"Ashley Lynn," his voice reached their ears, his words cloying. "What a beautiful young woman you've turned out to be."

 _ **\- End of Chapter Fifteen -**_

* * *

 **It's Sunday still somewhere in the United States…even if it's not still Sunday where I am. But this chapter ended up growing another thirteen hundred words even when it was already six thousand words long, and then I had to edit the damn thing, on top of a busy Sunday. I know I could have done it on Saturday, but shhhhh.**

 **We finally have met Eckhart! Sort of. Kind of. He'll be here for most of chapter sixteen, unfortunately, but he holds a key later on in the plot, so we have to put up with him, now.**

 **On a better note, I had such fun writing that first scene with their nicknames. Those also come into play later, but oh my goodness. Writing those dialogue bits was a blast. _That's_ where the extra 1300 words came from. I hope you liked that scene as much as I do. I'm so glad I've reached a point where they are comfortable with each other (to a point, of course) and can actually banter back and forth. **

**Thank you to _WistfulSin, musicnutftw, ProperEnglish,_ and _BlkRoseOfMine_ for your lovely reviews on Chapter Fourteen! I loved getting to see your comments; thank you.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	16. Protecting Your Back

_**Content Warnings: Sexual harassment**_

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

 _Protecting Your Back_

Being a demon, Hiei had always had stronger senses than his human counterparts. Some demons had a greater developed skill in a few senses or all, but in general, all demons had been born with slightly better senses than humans.

It was common knowledge that demons had better hearing than humans, their hearing more in the range of a dog's. Although, to compare a demon to a dog was an insult, but if he had to bring up an example to a human who didn't quite understand, that was his go-to example. Demons had excellent sight. Some were able to see in the dark. He, personally, was not, but he was able to see well in low-light situations. Beyond that, he was able to see precise details. His spiritual sense was strong, as well. That was more of a practiced sense, but a sense nonetheless. Truly, there were six senses, but most humans were not able to access the sixth. And his spiritual sense along with his hearing, sight, and what he knew about humans, allowed him a greater skill in picking up on humans' behaviors. Even his sense of touch helped on occasion, picking up on the heartbeat of an enemy if he really felt like messing with them.

Or, if he needed to gauge the reaction of a certain human girl.

Just as they heard his footsteps echoing off the hallway beyond, Ashley tensed, her heart beating into a gallop of nerves and anxiety. However, it was as if she knew what was happening with her body and tried to keep her posture relaxed, but there was no mistaking the shifting of her weight from her right food to her left as she leaned closer into his side, or the way her hands came together to try to find a loose thread at her wrists only to find that her dress was sleeveless. She made do with picking at the skin around her nails instead. Her breath came in shorter gasps, and he knew she was likely feeling the instinctual pull to run at that exact moment.

However, Ashley stood her ground as the man came around the corner, speaking that same slow language that Ashley sometimes spoke herself. It was completely foreign to him, although a few of the words sounded familiar, at least, even if he didn't understand what they were saying exactly.

The man just behind him, standing casually with his weight resting on his dominant foot chimed in on something. Hiei recognized the man immediately: he was the same person who had been operating the camera and conducted the interview with Ashley earlier that day. The man eyed Hiei with a look of excited curiosity. Again, the language was such that Hiei didn't understand.

Ashley replied, this time so that Hiei could understand. She had taken on a mask he hadn't yet seen her wear. It was armor almost, as she gathered herself to stand straighter. "Gentlemen, I know you can both speak Japanese. Why don't we speak a language that all parties understand?"

The man who'd whistled chuckled with a roll of his shoulders, as if that was the most preposterous idea. He was definitely older than either himself or Ashley, older by decades, and while he looked strong for human standards, it was obvious his body was weakening: his skin had lost its elasticity, and his hair was nearly completely shot with white. He favored his left leg, as if he harbored an old injury. He said something again, in that same excruciatingly slow language that was Ashley's first language.

Ashley, however, was having none of his bullshit. Her eyes flashed, a challenge hidden in their depths as she replied evenly, "I know you travel to Japan quite frequently, Bradley. Surely one night conversing in a language you are often utilizing will not be a hindrance to you."

The composure she kept was astounding, really, especially when he could feel her quaking next to him.

"Well, then, let me repeat myself," the attitude he injected into his words told Hiei that the man did mind that he had to repeat himself. "What a beautiful young woman you've turned out to be." Ashley didn't move next to Hiei, her body tense from stress. "Beauty and elegance, whether in a woman, a building, or a work of art, is not just superficial or something pretty to see. Wouldn't you agree, Jacob?"

So _this_ piece of work was Bradley Eckhart. It was no wonder, then, that Ashley had lost the color in her face when she'd been speaking on the phone to her mother a week prior.

Back in demon world, in the rural lands of Tourin, Alaric, and Gandara, there were few laws, and even fewer societal rules. If you had a problem with someone the general rule of thumb was to battle it out until the issue was resolved or the offending party was dead. Mutual respect was earned between demons, but there was little to no sexist classes based on genitalia alone. After starting to take cases outside Japan after Shono's problematic reign, Hiei had quickly learned that was not the case in human world. And although he had been able to ignore it for the most part - this was not his world, and these were not his people - the protective instinct to shove his blade through the torso of this disgusting human was almost unbearable. Thankfully, they had left his sword at Ashley's flat, or he might have indulged in that idea.

Suddenly, he realized a part of what Ashley must be feeling.

Eckhart, completely unaware of Hiei's inner thoughts, turned to him. "And what did you say your name was?"

He struggled to answer lightly and not close the gap between them and feel his hands wrap around the man's neck.

Ashley brushed Hiei's arm, pulling him out of his murderous thoughts, and her stormy gaze met his, like a rain in the middle of a drought.

"Watanabe Hiei," he replied stiffly, bowing in the way that the Japanese did. They'd discussed in the abnormally-small car ride over to use a common Japanese name to hopefully avoid any recognition. Eckhart often worked closely with governments and might recognize him.

Eckhart returned the greeting, introducing Jacob, who awkwardly bowed and then offered in hand in a western-style greeting. Hiei, not impressed, merely stared at it. He'd seen people initiate the western handshake in the past and had never been particularly fond of it. Why offer a stranger - and possible enemy - your dominant hand? Did they want it to get cut off?

Awkward silence descended upon the four before Jacob cleared his throat and motioned to the table. "Shall we sit?"

As Hiei and Ashley took their seats at the circular table, Ashley replied to the younger man. "And to answer your question, Jacob," this must be in reply to what Jacob had said previously in English, "yes, I lied during our interview. Hiei and I have been keeping our relationship quiet for some time now and would like for it to remain that way." Her tone was hard, and while she glanced up beneath her lashes at Jacob, it was less in the playful way that she often used with Hiei and more along the lines of a threat. Truthfully, it reminded Hiei of Yukina, and the way she often hid threats and ill-wishes beneath well-meaning words.

Even as she replied to his question of earlier, Ashley touched her knee to Hiei's beneath the table. Her meaning was clear, as well as her gratitude for him coming with her tonight, although she shouldn't have been grateful, in so many words.

Since Kurama had installed the boundary around her apartment to know if anyone other than the team were to try to approach her, and Hiei was no longer needed, he'd found very quickly that he'd actually begun missing the girl who wasn't afraid to stick up for herself. The girl who loved to read and loved to share her passions. The girl who was self-conscious about the silliest of things. Embarrassingly, it seemed the feeling had been mutual. As soon as he'd received her message he returned, hoping she would never bring it up, and thus far she hadn't. Still, he could feel her trying not to get attached. Everything she did was like she held him at arm's length.

He'd never seen this coming. Not from the first time Yukina had dragged her along to that dinner at Yukimura's, or the time Kuwabara and Yukina tried to set him up with her. Not when she was trying to stupidly converse with the monkeys, or when she'd tried to snatch his headband off his head.

But somewhere in between each of those times, he'd somehow become attached to her, and she had inadvertently become someone important to him.

Even as a human she had her own kind of strength to her; a stubbornness that wasn't easily extinguished. And that, more than anything else about her, was what drew him to her the most.

So even as she touched her knee to his in apology, and as she removed her knee from his, he made sure to close the distance between their knees in a sort of hidden secret beneath the table. Glancing at her from the corner of his eye as he turned his attention to the menu, he could see her blushing with just enough color. To hell with what the other two men thought. If they had a problem with it, then he'd made sure they didn't have a problem again. Even if he didn't have his sword on him, he could still kill them if the need arose.

A server approached their table, and Eckhart leaned back to him. "Can we get a bottle of your _Sassicaia_ for the table? There's a good lad."

Ashley seemed to only catch the last of what Eckhart said before the server disappeared again.

"Thank you so much for ordering for me, Bradley. I would never have known what to order if it wasn't for you."

The disdain dripped from her voice as she turned her attention to peruse the menu.

He ignored the jab, instead leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table. "Don't you play the piano, Ashley?" His question didn't sound like a question at all. "I picked this restaurant precisely so you could play for us."

Ashley smiled a tight-lipped sort of smile. "I agreed to dinner tonight, Bradley, not to be the entertainment."

"Agreed!" Eckhart chuckled, as if it was the most ridiculous idea in the world that someone would have to be forced into having dinner with him. "This will be a nice evening, Ashley, I guarantee it." Eckhart turned his attention to the waiter who had brought a dark red liquid to the table and had begun filling the glasses. Ashley glanced up from the menu, barely-masked annoyance filling her gaze.

"I'm not playing," she muttered beneath her breath.

Once more, Eckhart tried to order for the table, Ashley quickly interjecting, "Actually, sir, I will have the grilled salmon."

Just as quickly, Eckhart interruped her. "No, don't listen to her; she has no idea what she's saying. I know you're known for your grilled steak, so just order it for the four of us. That'll be all."

Now it was Ashley's turn to have murderous energy rolling off of her in waves. Discreetly, Hiei slipped his hand beneath the tablecloth to brush her hand with his. Slowly, she relaxed.

"So, Hiei, was it?" Eckhart turned his attention back, swirling the liquid in his glass around before finally taking a small sip. "Are you a demon?"

The question was innocent enough, even though Ashley choked on nothing except the openness of his question, but Bradley was anything but innocent. An expectant glint had formed in his eye as he held his wine glass to his upturned lips. Even though he was polite about the question, the undertones of disappointment and prejudice colored his words. Hiei could not only hear it in his voice, but in his body language as he tilted his head as if challenging Hiei to speak out against the rude question.

Even with their attempt at keeping his identity a secret, apparently Eckhart had been able to piece it together anyway. The question hung over the table.

"Yes," he finally answered, his expression guarded. Instinct and experience told him not to let his guard down around these two men. "Although, I can't imagine why you would need my confirmation when you seem so sure of the fact that I am."

"Oh, I just wanted to be sure. Need to keep our Ashley safe and all that. Now, surely you're being safe? We don't need any sort of halflings running around when we have enough problems of our own."

"Bradley," Jacob chided under his breath, but Hiei could still feel Ashley's heart rate rise, even without touching her. His own anger rose with every word the man spoke, and he was about to rip the man a new one, but Ashley's hand found his beneath the table, squeezing a warning.

"Well don't look at me like that, Jacob. You can see for yourself. She's in such good shape; I'm sure they can barely stay off one another."

Heat rose to Ashley's cheeks, her heart rate quickening, as she drew in a shaky breath and patted her lips with her napkin as Hiei snapped, "That is none of your concern." What satisfaction it would bring to force his blade through this man's torso, hearing the squelch as life itself drained out of his body. Or better, how might it feel to choke the very breath from his lungs? "You should count your blessings you are still breathing in this moment." Hiei growled.

"Oh, threats. Now things are getting interesting. Tell me, is that your _demon_ part coming out, or are all of you this uncivilized? You can certainly save it for the bedroom, either way." Eckhart looked like he was spearheading the most interesting conversation of the modern age while Jacob merely tried to catch Ashley's eye and offer an apologetic smile. She pointedly ignored him.

"Now, Bradley," Ashley began. Hiei tried to catch her eye, but she cradled her own wine glass in her hand, swishing around the wine in the glass like a seasoned connoisseur. Perhaps she was. The edge in her words sharp and quick as his own blade, and at a complete contradiction to her thoughtful countenance. "I don't see how it's hardly any of your business what we do or don't do in the bedroom. If you would like to discuss healthy intimate relationships," she spoke each word specifically, "might we discuss your own marriage and why Annette isn't here to dine with us tonight? What might she be up to that you and she haven't lived in the same house for six months and you're seen with a new working girl every time a camera is at the ready? I'm sure she knows about your hobby, but if she didn't, wouldn't that be a shame?" Within each word she held a warning; a threat. Like this, she was a queen.

The man on the receiving end of her words merely smiled a tight-lipped, empty smile. His cheeks didn't redden, however he did begin tapping his pointer finger on the table.

The tension in the room was palpable. They were the only four occupants besides the servers, but Ashley was toying with starting a war. If it had been Hiei, he likely would have carefully insulted the man's competence or intelligence, not go so far as to insult him and his partner. That was a bad idea all around. But as the minutes ticked by and Ashley sipped on her wine, prematurely thinking she won, Hiei could see him calculating his next move, his eyes finally landing on the piano in the corner.

It was the last thing in the world she would ever want to be used against her, but he didn't need the Jagan to see the plan weaving in Eckhart's mind, even as he didn't say anything. The worst of it was, he couldn't even warn her. He could slip into her mind with the Jagan, but he hadn't broached that subject yet at all and she had no idea he could do that. Even the idea of it left him feeling queasy. No, in this situation, that would be a bad idea. All he could do was protect her, as best he could, if Eckhart's plan came to fruition.

Dinner eventually lightened, with Ashley asking Jacob about the family he had back home: a wife and a young child, barely a year old, and Jacob asking Hiei about his time in human world and the differences between this world and his home world.

As the waiters brought out the meal that Eckhart had ordered for the table, Ashley turned her attention to Eckhart, and asked him how his traveling had been as of late. It was the first time they had spoken directly since Eckhart had commented on their sex life and Ashley threw it back in his face.

"Oh, it's just been. Greece has been unseasonably warm, and London hasn't been much better. America keeps getting hit with disaster after disaster. Between the weather and the…" he paused, trailing off for just a moment as he choose his words, " _incidents_ that keep occurring," Bradley looked straight at Hiei for a moment before continuing. Glancing at Ashley to his left, Hiei knew she didn't miss the near glare that Bradley had shot at Hiei. "And all the governments trying to incite one another, the world might as well be coming to an end. If your kind don't bring it around first, we'll do it to ourselves eventually. Might as well go back to where you came from now before you get caught up in it as well."

Ashley snorted in mock laughter as she cut into her food. "I highly doubt the world is coming to an end. We've lived through how many wars? How many 'incidents' of our own? We'll survive fine and we'll pick up the pieces wherever they fall. Demons will likely save us from ourselves at this point. They're the only variables that haven't been tested with humanity's constant mistakes. Who knows? Perhaps our integration is the missing link we need to finally achieve peace?"

How idealistic her words were. From what he'd seen in his life thus far, especially since Takayo was overthrown by Shono, peace was a long ways off, and demons would never be the ones to help the change. The death of the demon near Sendai several weeks back was testament to that. At least, it would never happen in his lifetime. Humans in general were too vile, and too discriminatory towards others who were different than they were. Peace was a pipe dream.

Eckhart took a bite of his dinner, chewed and swallowed, and then sat back in his chair as he cradled his wine in his hand. At this point, Hiei knew he was about to bring something dirty to light. This man was not quiet in nature, and although Hiei hadn't participated much in the conversation up until this point, he tensed, readying himself for whatever it was that Bradley was about to unleash on them.

What he didn't expect was Eckhart's next question: "Have you spoken to Oliver recently, Ashley?"

Next to him, Ashley also seemed confused by his lack of ambush. "Not recently; perhaps in the last month or so." Even though she answered in a statement, her words lifted upwards in question.

"Well,is he doing alright?" Eckhart's voice was concerned, but his body language was not. Everything that humans did to show concern, even down to leaning forward in their chair, he was not doing. He was thoroughly relaxed, as if he knew the answer to the question before he even asked it.

Ashley slowed in chewing her own food, rolling his question around in her mind. Whatever had happened with her brother, he wasn't aware of yet, but obviously it was something to put this big of a dent in her confidence. "Last time I heard from Sophia he was," she replied evenly. If Hiei hadn't been spending so much time with her lately, he might have thought she was telling the truth. As it was, he could still hear the wavering undertones and hesitancy that wove its way through her words.

"He won't be in the article, you know," Jacob spoke up then, spoon halfway to his mouth. That caught Ashley's attention. Visible concern was written across her face. Hiei knew a thousand questions that were flickering through her mind. From what she had told him, her brother was supposed to take over her father's company. If he wasn't in the article, the article that was about the company itself, something was wrong. He made a mental note to ask her later.

Ashley had stolen her hand back from him to eat her dinner when it had come out, so Hiei reached under the table to squeeze her thigh. A quiet reassurance. She settled almost immediately. "If he's not in the article, there must be a reason." She paused over her next words, unsure how to proceed. "A reason of which I am not privy to. I am over here in Japan, after all, not within the inner workings of the company."

"I've heard," Jacob quietly said, as if they might be overheard sharing rumors, "That he holds some pretty _controversial_ opinions that Wright United is not favorable to. If you know anything, Ashley-"

"As she said," Hiei nearly growled at the man, catching him off-guard as he leaned back in his chair in surprise. With everything he had he tried to maintain his composure that Kurama had outlined for him as acceptable to humans. "She has no idea what's happening. You'd be wise to let the conversation drop." Hiei was sure that if Jacob could scramble backwards away from the table he would in a heartbeat. The instinctual fear that humans still possessed at their most basic level swept through Jacob immediately and without pause.

This dinner was stretching on much longer than he originally thought it would. Once he knew what Eckhart had been in Ashley's childhood, he'd hoped it would be quick and without incident. Now, he knew that had been too much to hope for.

An awkward moment descended, although Eckhart didn't let it persist for too long.

"Why don't you play for us?" he asked, motioning again to the piano in the corner. The musician who had been playing had, at some point, abandoned his post. Hiei wouldn't be surprised if Eckhart had paid the man to play up until dinner so that he could force his will onto Ashley. He was obviously determined to get Ashley to play. "I'm sure that's what we could all use to relax, and you were always so great at those tunes."

To call them simply _tunes_ was disrespectful and disgusting in and of itself. Beyond that, the color promptly drained from Ashley's face as she smiled tightly. "You shouldn't have," she muttered, entirely to herself and for Hiei's amusement.

It was apparent to Hiei that Ashley was entirely clued in on what Eckhart was doing: to throw out her brother haphazardly to catch her off guard, and then throw out the piano: he was punishing her. He was punishing her for speaking up to defend herself before.

"I disagree; I was never fantastic at it," nerves tore through her voice where only Hiei could hear. Their conversation a week prior came back immediately. Even as she lifted her water glass to her lips, her hand was shaking minutely. "There's a reason my room was always decorated in bronze."

The reference went over Hiei's head, but Jacob smiled, excited. "That's not what I've heard," he spoke up. "You got into the Dean's College at only sixteen. That's nearly a miracle in and of itself."

Ashley was already shaking her head. "Not at all. Charlotte Brealey joined at fourteen; two years before myself. I'd say her skill is much better than mine. Especially now that I haven't played in however many years it's been. Five? Six years? You really don't want me to play; I'd be absolutely terrible and your ears would likely bleed."

"Nonsense!" Eckhart nearly bellowed. "Go on and play; we'd all like to hear you! And besides; if you do this, I'll owe you a favor. Fair?"

A favor from a powerful man. A disgusting and powerful man. If it had been Hiei, he'd have declined. As it was, he could see Ashley rolling it over in her mind. "If I play, will you shut up about it?" Eckhart nodded, taking a sip of his wine. Eventually, she pulled her napkin from her lap, folded it, and placed it on the table next to her plate. With a pointed look and sharp words, she reiterated, "You owe me," each word as clear as a bell.

She turned to face Hiei, taking him in, and he let her, finding her hand beneath the table and squeezing it once more for reassurance, before she rose from the table.

It was like watching a fairy tale come to life as she strode over to the waiting piano. Carefully, hesitantly, she sat at the piano, which was parallel to their table. Hiei couldn't necessarily see her expression clearly from where he sat, but could watch her in profile.

She touched the keys softly, not daring to press them down to make noise, as she sucked in a soft breath.

Before she could begin playing, Eckhart leaned over the table to Hiei, once he was convinced that Ashley was no longer watching them, and was instead lost in her own thoughts. At that moment, Hiei knew that the three men to her right, including himself, had ceased to exist.

"Don't get too comfortable," Eckhart purred the threat. "She's one of the best ones there is, and you certainly don't deserve her. At least do her the favor and end things before they begin."

Hiei, who was entirely knowledgeable that anything he said could otherwise come back and harm her, chose his next words carefully, "You don't get to dictate what we do," he began, his glare sharp and his words painted with an obvious threat. Kurama would be embarrassed. "And I'd be careful of how you conduct yourself around her in the future. With what I've seen here tonight I'm not pleased. Know this: if you ever come to harm her, I will find you, and you will suffer. Slowly."

Hiei fully expected Eckhart to make his own promise, but instead he merely sat back in his chair. He was obviously not happy with Hiei's threat, but shut his mouth anyway, if only because Ashley had begun playing.

The notes that reached their ears were blissful, hopeful, and pure. It may have been years since Ashley had touched a piano, but the joy that was written on her face as she played the sweeping melodies couldn't be overlooked. Yes, she missed keys every so often, but truly, it was as if it was the same person who played the tracks on her iPod that he always listened to had come alive in front of him again.

* * *

She had looked like an absolute vision the first time that he had seen her step out of the bathroom in that blue dress, but after she had finished playing, the absolute joy that shone from her created a vision he'd never seen from any other being: human or demon.

The ride home, however, she had slipped into a subdued mood, biting her bottom lip and staring out the window. It was only once they had reached her flat and she was unlocking the door that she finally said, not looking up at him, "I'm sorry for tonight, you know. I thought his focus would be on me; I didn't mean to drag you through the mud, too."

The lock _clicked_ back, unlocking the door.

"You were incredible tonight, you know." She finally glanced up, meeting his smoldering gaze. Whatever had happened in the past with that foul creature, she'd been prepared for it, which had made her stronger, in his eyes, than he'd ever seen her. That alone, to show strength and dignity when the world itself tried to tear a person down, was attractive.

The natural fire in his veins only burned hotter.

Pink flushed her cheeks as she led them inside. Knox barked around their feet, but neither paid him any attention. Hiei locked the door behind them, only coming to lean against the door frame and taking her in.

She hadn't tried to get out of the dress yet, or even let her hair down. One of the first things she always did when she returned home from anywhere was to change her clothes.

Turning towards him, she finally responded, "You think so?"

He nodded once, eyes on hers. Slowly, she closed the distance between them until just inches remained. This close, he fought the urge to pull her close and rip that dress from her body.

Her lips parted, just barely, as she breathed. Her heart beat quickly, and he almost smiled; how very human of her.

"Hiei, I-" she stuttered off, fumbling for her words. After being so confident at the table and after playing, to see her stumbling now, that he was so close to her, was endearing. "I like you. A lot." The embarrassment that flushed to her cheeks at that admission lit a feeling of warmth deep within him. "And I…" she trailed off.

Silence reigned. He could barely stand the distraction that she proved to be. It took every ounce of self-restraint to bend down to her ear and mutter, "I'd like to try something, if you're comfortable with it." The gooseflesh rose along her collarbone and arm as he found her zipper in the back of her dress and slowly began to pull down her zipper.

"Oh please," she whispered back, her hands reaching around behind her and gripping his. "I've been wanting to rip that suit off you since I first saw you in it. Don't tell me you've just wanted to _unzip_ me?"

As if that were a switch, something flipped in him and she was immediately pinned beneath him against the wall, their bodies pressed together as heat rose between them. She stayed true to her word and ripped the black shirt away, popping the buttons and exposing his chiseled body beneath.

He caught her lips beneath his, kissing her deeply and tugging at her bottom lip with his own teeth. The dress came off easily beneath his hands, the fabric stretching until it tore away like tissue paper. Warmth gathered in his belly as they stood there, just a moment, as they took in one another.

She was easily the most beautiful thing he had seen in years.

She gasped as he pinned her to the wall once more, pressing his body against hers and he felt every contour of her. Keeping a firm grip on her wrists above her head, he kissed her along her jaw and trailed down her neck, only to go back to find her lips again. He released her wrists, only for her hands to rove across his skin, eventually reaching down far enough to make him pause in a gasp. Ashley smiled as he did, and caught his lips for a kiss once more. As they kissed, she came alive like bottled lightning, and he didn't dare stop.

Slowly, her hands reached back up and wound themselves around his neck. Hitching her up, and wrapping her legs around his torso, he carried her to her futon, where they spent the rest of the night.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Sixteen -**_

* * *

 **THEY FINALLY KISSED. AND DID OTHER THINGS. It only took sixteen chapters...**

 **I was really hoping I wouldn't have to re-write the entire chapter. However, I re-wrote the entire chapter today, which is why it's being posted so much later than I wanted it to be, and I apologize.**

 **I will admit, my "lovely" president gave me inspiration for most of Eckhart's interactions in this chapter. Not all, but a few quotes were taken directly from Trump in interviews he's done over the years.**

 **Thank you to WistfulSin, ProperEnglish, Oddity Empress, and Kimimakku for reviewing on chapter fifteen! As far as this chapter goes, I ended up re-writing most of it. I'm still not one hundred percent happy at where it ended up, so I would truly love any constructive criticism you can give.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot. I also do not own anything that President Trump may (or may not, according to him) have said at any time during any interview.**


	17. Sweet Memories

Chapter Seventeen

 _Sweet Memories_

In sleep, the hard edges of Hiei softened until he had a look of innocence about him. Ashley had woken thirty minutes previously, but rather than stirring from where she lay in her futon next to this glorious person next to her, she stayed there, and remembered the night before with a light laugh bubbling up. The last time she'd had sex with anyone hadn't been even close to how it had been with Hiei. Yes, there had been a few awkward moments, where the dress wouldn't quite come off, and he'd tripped on it taking her to the bed, and she'd tried to kiss him as he came back for her mouth, only for them to bump heads with a chuckle.

But that seemed to be the perfect part. It wasn't perfect. It was completely imperfect, but it was better than anything she'd ever experienced.

How she wanted to reach out and touch him, to brush the hair out of his eyes, but she stayed her hand. He slept on his stomach, with his right arm curled beneath his head, the pillow forgotten above him.

For a moment, he was peaceful. The stress that came with feeling like he had to watch over her constantly, disappeared. The stress that came with Dion, disappeared. The stress that came with his life beyond this flat, whatever that was, disappeared.

It was strange, even in sleep he wore the headband across his forehead. Even though she'd been so curious about it before, she recognized it was his secret, and if he wanted to tell her about it he would.

And really, what did she actually know about him? He was a demon, yes, although that had only been new knowledge in the last month or so. He worked as a mediator… possibly as a mediator for the demon world? The image of him standing behind that demon that was mangled swam to the surface of her memories. Was he a mediator in those types of situations, then?

She knew he liked spaghetti, and just about anything else she decided to cook, with the exception of spotted dick, which he'd merely leveled his gaze at her in annoyance and refused to touch it once she told him what it was called. Even then, though, before she told him, he enjoyed it. Ashley also knew that more often than not, when Hiei was frustrated, sarcasm was the knee-jerk reaction he had.

Still, it felt to her, like she didn't really _know him_. What made him tick? What pushed him to his next goal? Was black his favorite color or just the color he had around himself most often? What was his biggest regret? What was on his bucket-list? Obviously demons and humans had the same sort of physiology, so that wasn't anything she needed to worry about. But what had made the scars that cris-crossed themselves across his back and stomach and arms that she had noticed? How on earth had he accrued so many, especially with being so young? And besides that, what was this dragon tattoo that wound so tightly on his right arm? Was it supposed to be part of a sleeve? Or did it have some sort of meaning? It barely peeked out from beneath his mess of hair, but she'd seen it once before: back on the bus on the way to Nikko. A dragon black as obsidian, set against a smoky background.

Who was this person who slept next to her so soundly?

A sense of deja vu settled over her, lying there next to Hiei's sleeping form. She was positive she had never been in this situation before, and usually she remembered her dreams, but this moment felt so familiar to her. A chill raised the hairs along the back of her neck, but she shook off the feeling. No, she had definitely never been in this moment before. Especially never with Hiei.

She stayed like that for several more minutes, simply watching him sleep, and then pulled a book to her when she realized how creepy she was being. Ashley wanted to take a peek at what was going on on Facebook, but her phone was with her clutch that she had dropped near the kitchen and she didn't feel like pulling herself up off the bed anytime soon. At least not until Hiei was also awake and she didn't run the risk of accidentally waking him.

Even though her attention was on her book, sneaking glances at Hiei every now and then when he shifted in sleep, really, she found herself reading and re-reading the same few pages over and over again. The thing on her mind, however, had little to do with the night they had shared, and more to do with playing the piano the night before.

That had been the first time she had played in years.

And even though she had been strong-armed into it, and had been nervous about it for weeks, the absolute joy that it had brought her instead was like an old friend returning.

Yes, it hadn't been a perfect performance; it had been years, after all, so she was going off of muscle memory alone, and she'd made mistakes, but she had played.

Maybe she could pick it back up again.

It was nearly another hour before the demon next to her began to stir. Slowly at first, hunkering down into the sheets that were draped over his body, and then his crimson eyes blinked open.

"Good morning," Ashley murmured, not bothering to put her bookmark in just yet.

"Is it morning already?" Hiei asked even as he turned over to see the sunlight filtering through the glass on the patio door.

"It is," she replied, nerves suddenly flooding her stomach. Why, she had no idea, especially since this person had now seen everything there was to her and then some. He knew what made her gasp, and what made her bored. "Are you hungry?" she asked instead. "I can make us food."

Unsure, Hiei hesitated before a quick, "Sure," as he rolled to his feet and padded to the bathroom.

He didn't seem to be undergoing the same nerves that she was, that was for sure. Finally bookmarking her page, Ashley rolled to her own stomach and waited until Hiei was re-entering her room from the bathroom. He wasn't wearing much, but even after spending all night with him intimately, the sight of him still created a low heat in her stomach that rose to her cheeks as she looked away, embarrassed. She was definitely not in the same toned shape as he was, and that thought only fueled her embarrassment further.

Still, she worked out the words on her mind, "Would you want to go on a date with me?" When he didn't respond right away, she added, "Like, for real?"

She couldn't look at him directly, suddenly terrified that he would say "no," or that last night had been a mistake.

"Would you like that?" he replied instead, coming to lean against her door frame, arms crossed over his chest.

The gentleness in his voice was unlike the brash sort of clipped responses he usually gave. It was odd, but last night was a testament that Hiei was capable of being gentle.

In the time span of less than a day, Hiei had managed to glimpse just who she was. Feeling the blush in her cheeks deepen, she replied, "I would."

"Then let's do it," he offered with a slight smile. Truly, even though it was small, it was the first real one he'd really offered her, lighting his eyes.

Or at least, it was the first real one he'd offered away from the intimate night they'd shared.

"You seem to be in a good mood," he said as Ashley glanced up, catching her gaze.

It was a perfect Sunday morning, really. "Well, after the night we had," she began, acknowledging the evening without bringing it directly into the light. For some reason, nerves bubbled in her stomach with a warning that if she brought it up, then Hiei might push her away and deny that anything had taken place. "And Hiei, that was the first time I've played the piano in years. And," she paused, trying to find the right words to convey exactly how she felt in Japanese. "And I loved it. I want to keep playing."

He watched her in the doorway for a long moment, watching her joy. Finally, she pulled herself out of bed and padded over to him, Knox falling back on his side in exhaustion. He'd been up half the night watching them. She didn't reach out to him, however, even though she so wanted to. She wanted to wrap her arms around his torso and feel his warmth seep into her body again.

But she didn't. Instead, Ashley stood in front of him, the blanket from the bed wrapped around her shoulders like a cape.

"I think you should," he replied, his voice husky in the morning. "You were incredible last night." He looked awkward admitting it, looking out the window behind her head, and a soft flush rising to his cheeks. Ashley was sure that was the first time he had ever blushed in front of her.

Instead, she placed her palm flat against his pectorals, which was more touching than she was sure he was comfortable with. "Thank you," she replied simply, withdrawing her hand almost immediately and stepping around him to head to the bathroom, herself.

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Hiei snipped, rolling his eyes. They stood in line behind a set of double doors, waiting with the other dozens of people waiting to get into the light exhibit. They were next, and waiting for the green light above the door to come on indicating they could enter, but the sheer amount of time they'd spent waiting for the thing had been excessive. It was the last weekend of the exhibit, but still. It had been a few years since Ashley had been to any University-held exhibit, but for it to be nearly eight at night and still this many people waited to get in after months of the exhibit being open screamed that some people had procrastinated their coming to it.

"I agree," Ashley muttered absentmindedly. At some point, she'd gotten her phone out and had started scrolling through the photos that Sophia had sent to her. There was one of the writing on the wall, or really, it was more like carvings in the wall. She'd also sent some video of one of the broken-for-a-century clocks that had suddenly started working again, even if they were constantly chiming at 11 pm. That didn't interest her nearly as much as the carvings did, which was to say she was barely interested at all. Maybe one of the cousins had started carving that as a prank.

"What are you looking at?" Hiei had finally asked, leaning over her shoulder to sneak a glance.

"Just some stuff going on at the House," Ashley replied evenly, locking her phone and putting it away. "Sophia sent it over earlier and I thought I'd take a look; that's all," she replied with a grin. A haunted house and some family drama was nothing that Hiei needed to concern himself with.

He dropped the conversation easily, and silence descended upon them once more. Ashley began picking at a thread on her sleeve anxiously. She stood as close as she dared to Hiei. Really, what she wanted to do was reach out and take his hand, but his right hand was shoved into his pocket at the moment, thereby preventing any inconspicuous hand-holding. "But, we've waited this long. If we were to get out of line now it would all be for nothing." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, a smirk growing as she caught sight of his scowl.

He didn't seem to be the type of person at all to crave intimacy, or even physical contact, content enough to stand next to her without any offering of a touch.

She told herself it was fine, and reminded herself that everyone was different, but oh, how she wished she could reach out and take his hand, if only just to feel his presence next to her. As it was, he stood there quietly, lost in his own thoughts, conversation coming at a ragged pace, and Ashley stood next to him, trying not to be disappointed at all. In the beginning she'd tried to hold conversation, but his few replies that sounded like he was trying to end conversation altogether. Which didn't make sense at all. They'd been intimate the night before, and he'd agreed to go out with her on a real date. But all evening it felt as if he wanted to be anywhere except next to her.

Ashley tried not to let the overwhelming sadness and rejection overwhelm her, but all she could think about was if Hiei was regretting it all.

Still, the light above the door didn't come on.

"You know, if you're not having a good time, we can go," she heard herself say, but didn't take the words back. It was similar to what she'd said to him over dinner weeks ago, right before he'd jerked her world to a halt and practically told her he didn't want anything to do with her anymore.

But if he didn't want to be here, why should she force him to stay? Because she'd had a good night with him the night before? No. Maybe it was all lust. Maybe he wasn't falling for her as quickly or as hard as she was. Of course, after a thought, Ashley realized that was the truth of the matter. Hiei was always stand off-ish, and every relationship or crush she'd ever had had turned out that she fell much harder and faster than the other person. Hiei would not be an exception.

But then again, it didn't make sense why he always came around her flat if he wanted nothing to do with her.

He sucked in a breath through his nose. "Let's stay," he replied. He didn't move; didn't reach out to bridge the distance between them, but he wanted to stay.

And that was enough for now.

The green light came on over the door and they shuffled through the doors along with a dozen other people.

The abrupt difference between the room where they had been waiting in line and the maze that started on the other side was stark.

Immediately they were plunged into darkness, and Ashley faltered, her steps unsure as she was suddenly blind in the dark. Vaguely, there was a dim light coming from ahead, but trying to see to get there was the difficult part.

In an instant she felt warmth near her arm, and then the hand that accompanied it grazed her arm. "What's wrong?" Hiei asked, his tone alarmed.

Ashley shook her head, before realizing he likely couldn't see her in the dark. Unless demons had excellent sight, too. "I can't see. I just need a minute… to adjust."

Everyone else had proceeded forward, walking towards the dim light. Laughter and squeals could be heard from them as they tripped over each other. But Ashley didn't feel confident enough to walk toward the light and not fall flat on her face.

Slowly she could see better - painstakingly slow - but it was as if her pupils had decided they wanted to take the slow route.

She could feel Hiei next to her, silent as ever, but he didn't leave her side. "You humans and your lackluster senses. How did your evolution ever get to this point?" He muttered under his breath, and the sentiment caught a smile from Ashley. He huffed and then said, "I can see." Vaguely she thought she saw him offer his hand before another annoyed huff came from him.

The next thing she knew he'd taken her hand.

His hand was warm, but not uncomfortably so. Especially in the room where it felt like they'd pumped up the AC to mimic the Arctic, it was nice. And she never thought rough-worked hands would feel good to her, but they were Hiei's. Warmth spread from the hand he had taken and grew low in her belly.

He led her through the maze until light spilled over their path, illuminating the way to step. As soon as it did, Hiei let go of her hand, taking it back and standing off to the side again. Even as he did, however, she couldn't help but smile. Lights shone from every direction, twirling and spinning, and blinking. They created patterns on the floor and walls. It was like a maze, but in the dark. They had to find their way to the main room, where the advertisements said all 72 types of lights were displayed. When she had told Hiei of this, as they sat in her flat trying to figure out where to go for their first date, he snorted in derision. "How could there possibly be 72 types of light to begin with?"

Ashley glanced at Hiei now, who was eyeing the lights with a hint of distaste and distrust. "Shall we begin?" she offered with a grin.

He didn't respond, but she set off, wandering through the maze herself, although she could feel him on the edges of her feet, his warmth radiating off him.

As they approached a dead-end, Ashley slowed, careful not to stop too suddenly. "Which way should we go?" Hiei came to a stop beside her, glancing left and right, before suddenly walking left, not bothering to speak his decision.

It was fun to see his mind work, and see his surprised reactions as the lights did different things around them. Images were projected onto the walls, but at times an image would appear so suddenly, it would be like it jumped out from the shadows. His immediate reaction was to try to punch through whatever scared him.

By the second time, Ashley was able to anticipate his reaction and grabbed his arm before it happened again.

The muscles in his forearms were taut as the image of a clown popped up in front of them, blinking and music playing around them in a teasing way, before it disappeared again. Quickly, Ashley released him, noticing the way he tensed the longer she held onto him.

For the most part they were alone on their way through the maze, but could hear the other patrons speaking loudly and squealing every once in a while.

By the time they got to the main room, so many people were jam-packed into the small space, that it was difficult to move. Hiei and Ashley tried to navigate through the crowds without losing each other, but with Hiei leading the way and Ashley trying not to bump into anyone, there were a few times that they got cut off from each other. Finally, Hiei's hand shot out behind him; Ashley took it without a second thought, his grip firm.

They found their own corner of the room, a few feet in any direction away from everyone else, just to stand there and take it in. It was incredible the way the lights played over the dozens of bodies, and it felt weird to be able to see the light filaments covering her exposed arms, but not be able to physically feel anything.

Hiei didn't let go of her hand for a moment longer than she thought he would. When he did, Ashley pointed to his face with a grin. The lights looked like threads of color dancing over him. He smirked, but didn't say anything. Typical Hiei.

She never heard or felt anyone pass behind them, but she definitely felt the hand slide up her thigh to grip her butt cheek.

Ashley shrieked, immediately knowing that the touch did not belong to Hiei, whose hands had been in his pockets.

It was like a fucking switch got flipped. A chain reaction. Dominoes falling against one another.

Immediately everyone else erupted in screams, the darkness suddenly pressing down very hard; suffocating. Hiei had grabbed her in an instant, pulling her body into his and away from the assault. People rushed towards the exit, knocking into them until Hiei pulled them away from where they had stood, his eyes wide and scanning the area where they had stood.

"What happened?" He yelled over the screaming, pulling her close. Ashley, however, couldn't concentrate on what he said, trying desperately to find the asshole who had touched her. "What happened?" He gripped her tighter, his voice nearly a roar in her ear.

"S-Someone," she stuttered, trying to get the words out. "Someone t-touched me!"

He tensed, but with the dozens of people running for the exit, and the room still dark and the lights flickering over the bodies, there was no way to decipher which of these people had been the one to touch her.

Pulling her close, he led her from the room, pushing past people to get out of the room and back into the normal fluorescents outside. Flushing bright pink, he led her to the side of the crowd as everyone who had exited suddenly stopped on the other side of the exit doors, wondering what had happened. Three security guards rushed past in their haste to enter the light show to see what had happened.

Ashley couldn't stand to look out from Hiei's chest. _She'd_ caused this panic. The embarrassment was almost too much.

"Let's get out of here. Please, Hiei." She pleaded, looking anywhere but at the crowd around them or at Hiei, himself.

"But we need to find the guy-"

Ashley didn't need to cut him off with the way she was vehemently shaking her head. "No. No. Please. Let's just go."

Hiei opened his mouth to argue, but Ashley set off away from the crowd, away from Hiei, toward the exit as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, ducking her head.

He finally caught up with her as she exited the building, slowing to a stop next to the small garden outside to let Hiei catch up with her.

"What the hell was that?" he snapped, catching her arm and pulling her around to face him.

"I just-" she tried and failed, trying a different route. "I couldn't be in there. I needed to get out."

Hiei's face scrunched up in confusion. "What? You know I don't understand that."

English. She'd been speaking in English. She'd converted and didn't even know it. Great. There was that to add to her embarrassments for the night.

Ashley pulled away from Hiei, walking over to the rock wall that someone had constructed around the landscaping. The night was vaguely lit from the florescents that flooded through the windows, their light barely reaching the garden.

 _"Why didn't you do something?"_

 _"I could have found the guy."_

Every sentence that came out of Hiei's mouth felt like an accusation.

 _"Where did he touch you?"_

 _"No one should get away with touching you."_

Hiei had gone full-protector on her, and while she knew she would appreciate it in a few days, as it was now, it was just annoying and he needed to stop.

But he didn't. His eyes narrowed, arms crossed over his chest, and speaking to her like she was the one he was angry at, she had to remind herself that wasn't the case.

Through the embarrassment and the knowledge that she was surely flushed from neck to ears just from the heat that radiated through her, Ashley struggled on her Japanese, trying to form what she wanted to say in English to the Japanese equivalent, going slow and bogging down the conversation, which only made her flush harder, this time with frustration.

"I just-" she tried again in Japanese, "Hiei, can you please just **stop** for a moment?"

The desperation had slipped into her voice and while he heeded her request and he stopped talking, she turned away from him, her hands moving to cover her face as she walked a few away, trying to put words into other words for him to understand.

After having a moment to collect her thoughts and circling back around, she took a shaky breath and began. "Yes. He touched me, okay? And I screamed. I shouldn't have screamed, but I screamed and I hate myself for it." The embarrassment itself was too much. "It caused unnecessary panic. And I don't want to go back and talk to the authorities because that'll just cause too much of a scene-" Ashley glanced back at Hiei for a moment, but she immediately realized she shouldn't have. He was outright glaring at her, arms crossed defiantly over his chest.

"Look, okay," she sighed, exasperated at herself for the whole thing. "This happens. It sucks but it _fucking happens_. The room was dark and I didn't see anyone. I just want this to be over. Can we go?"

"No."

Ashley rolled her eyes and walked away from him, knowing he would follow, back to the brick wall where she pulled herself up to sit on it, feet dangling off. It was only a few inches higher than her hips, so she was able to look down at him from her perch. "You're being ridiculous about this."

"I disagree. _No one_ should be able to touch you without your consent." He was angry about this. His concern for her, while appreciated, at this moment was also underwhelming.

"I agree with you." She replied evenly as Hiei approached her, bracing his hands on the wall on either side of her legs. Looking over his head back at the building, she realized she should be too, but she just couldn't find the energy to be angry. "But, as much as it sucks to admit this, it actually happens a lot. Not this exact _thing_ so to speak, but being female, don't know if you've noticed this, but it kind of comes with the annoying expectation that other people are going to touch you without your permission quite a lot. And it sucks. And it shouldn't happen. But, Hiei, I've had people try to touch my _hair_ because they thought it looked pretty."

She paused, then, "Thank you for your concern, but at this point, I just want it to be over. Does that make sense?"

He clenched his fists on either side of her legs; the only sign that no, he really didn't want to move on, but aloud he consented with a grumble. He was glaring a hole into her stomach. "I'd love to get my hands on that guy," he muttered to no one in particular.

His reply got a giggle out of Ashley. The first time Ashley had ever heard Hiei say he wanted to end someone's life had been weeks ago. At the time, she had been disturbed and horrified, and had shakily talked him out of that. But she'd found that he actually threatened this around her towards others quite a lot. It was more of an empty threat than anything. This time, though, it felt less like an empty threat and more like a full-blooded threat.

If he was willing to waste his time on hunting down the guy, she should take it as a compliment. He never wasted even a minute of time on meaningless or mediocre things. Something had to be worth his time for him to do it.

Still, it was interesting to note that the first time he'd mentioned he casually wanted to kill someone, he had now softened the phrase. Whether it was for her benefit or not, it was still endearing.

"I'd love if you did, too, but I'm also really glad you didn't." With a sigh, she relaxed. "Sorry for ruining the night. Maybe we can try again soon?"

He snorted with a roll of his eyes. "Uzai. You didn't ruin the night."

* * *

"Hiding?" Oliver's voice came from the doorway. Ashley immediately stopped playing her piece, the keys creating an awful noise as she jumped and hit them by accident.

"Oliver!" Ashley snapped back, "Don't scare me like that!"

He cocked a brow. "Hiding?" He repeated it. He leaned against the door frame in that gray suit of his, a crystal glass of some spirit dangling from his fingertips. They had always had the same blond hair and gray eyes, and had looked exactly like each other in their baby photos. While he usually dressed well and slicked his hair back, tonight he seemed to have overdone the hair gel, making his hair seem to have a helmet sort of look to it. It looked hard as a rock.

She rolled her eyes, as her fourteen year old self often did. "I hate people," she groused. "Why do we have to come to this stupid thing anyway?" Really, it wasn't the party that had her upset, although that was as good a reason as any. Her mother had picked out the absolute worst dresses that any fourteen year old could possibly wear, especially while she was trying to find her place in all this upscale hullabaloo. The other girls her age didn't have to wear dresses that looked like they were straight out of the forties. Theirs didn't have lace. "You're better at this than I am."

"Really, I'm not," Oliver assured her. "I just have more experience in this than you do. And you've got the instinct for the tech more than I do. I just know how to talk to people."

He stood there, fiddling with his phone in his left hand. "You're phone's broken, isn't it?"

"Gah!" He reacted. "You caught me! But I was wanting to come up to find you." As if she was the magical being who only fixed phones. Still, he at least knew how much she abhorred parties like this one.

He handed the device to her and she started sliding pieces apart, knowing how to access the interior of the phone and which wires connected where and did what without ever really studying it. It was a top of the line phone. Not a smart phone yet, but it was still good. Dad kept trying to get him to get a smart phone, but Oll still hung onto his older technology. Quickly, she worked, her fingers nimble inside the thing, connecting wires that could go elsewhere.

"How's your piece coming?" Oliver tried for conversation as she worked. She knew immediately what he was talking about. The competition was in three weeks and Ashley had been playing pretty much non-stop, working out the kinks.

She said as much in reply. "There's just a few bars I can't seem to get the notes right on. I keep playing them and playing them, but I just can't seem to do it."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shake his head. "Honestly, how you're able to read all that at all is amazing."

"Don't you remember any of your lessons?" Dad had put them all through a year of music when they were ten. Oliver had taken violin, Sophia had taken the French horn, and Ashley had taken the piano. Ashley was the only one that actually wanted to continue with her lessons once the year was up. Then the lessons turned to competitions. Now her dream was to get into the Dean's College: the largest group of young musicians in England. It was an honor to get in; you had to be the best or one of the best in your instrument, or instruments, and it was a lifetime membership. It took recommendation letters, an audition, and an interview, sometimes two, and they looked at your competitive history, although that didn't always have influence on whether you were able to join or not. The Dean's College paid to put you in competitions, and often hosted concerts for their members to play in. Most of those concerts raised money for one cause or another, but they were always set up first and foremost to showcase their members' talents. Scholarships were available to those who wanted to study their music as a career. And Ashley wanted in more than anything. Charlotte Brealey, a girl in Ashley's class at school, had already joined, but she always placed first or second in any competition she played in.

"I don't remember anything that had to do with that horrible experience," Oll sighed, finally crossing the room and joining Ashley on the piano bench. It wasn't like he'd ever sat at a piano. He used to teach Ashley how to read sheet music when she was first learning how to play, the summer before he started his first year at Cambridge, and they'd sit at the piano for hours at a time. "I try to block it out of my memory, honestly. And I've purposefully forgotten how to read sheet music so one of these wankers can't ask me to play at these stupid dinner parties."

Ashley crinkled her nose. Yes, that was a thing she was often asked to do.

It was silent for a moment, allowing Ashley to work and think through the issue with his phone. It was obvious it wasn't turning on. It looked like it had lost power without warning.

"I don't know how you do that." Oll finally muttered, mystified.

"It's easy, once you know how it all fits together. But you'd actually have to crack open a book now and then." Ashley couldn't help but through the jibe in. Oliver, for his credit, had never been the studious sort until finals came down to the wire.

Oliver snorted. He replied easily, "I've never seen you do that for this."

Ashley shrugged. It'd always been an innate talent of hers with technology: just knowing the device and how it worked, no matter what it was. If she was given something she'd never laid hands on, she was able to take it apart, fiddle with it some to learn it, and then she'd be able re-connect wires inside of it so it would work better. No instruction manual needed. She could probably write the instruction manual if she understood what any of the jargon actually meant. She knew it in practice, not theory.

Which made her the perfect person to take over the company one day.

And that idea she just couldn't stand.

She put the phone back together and handed it to her brother. He held down the power button and immediately the screen lit up. Oliver shook the phone at her. "You're good at this."

"Don't start that nonsense again. I hate it." She changed the subject. "How'd you know where I'd be?"

"Because, as much as you are wont to believe, you and Sophia are actually sisters," he replied. "And she's in the guest bedroom down the hall as well, 'hiding' with… what's the bloke's name this month?"

"Michael. And they've been dating for three months." It was just like Oliver not to realize that.

"Oh. Huh. Hadn't noticed that," he admitted. "Think it's serious?"

"As serious as it can be. He's the longest one this year." Ashley replied. It wasn't like her sister was dating someone every other month, although it felt like it. She and Oll often teased her for it, but really Sophia just had very high standards, and if she found that the guy she was with wasn't living up to those standards, she found no fault with ending things before they took off.

"Do you have anyone special you're looking at? Any blokes I should know about?" Oliver asked that question out of left field. It was common knowledge that Ashley didn't date, didn't have time to date, and even if someone did catch her fancy, she was too busy to date. Most likely he was trying to get a rise out of her.

Unfortunately his question had the opposite effect. "Why would I possibly start dating someone if Dad's about to make me leave?"

"Ah," Oliver replied, a light bulb flicking on in his head. "I found the reason for the hiding."

"No!" Ashley quickly snapped, but eased back as Oliver's brows shot straight in the air. She never used that tone with him. "Well, it's part of it," she admitted. "But I really do hate people."

"What are you thinking about all of it?" All of it being that her Dad had heard of a school over in Japan called Ouran High School through his new friends in the tech sector. Wright United had passed a certain point in the industry and now they were getting invited to dinner party after dinner party that served said dinner on actual china plates, and spirits in crystal glasses, and everyone wearing the most expensive formal wear sold in the boutiques. Ashley had always wondered while growing up what "high society" was like, and now that she was getting a taste of it, she'd discovered she really didn't like it all too much.

All of which boiled down to a couple of the industry leaders drinking with Dad one night and telling him that they sent all their kids to this international high school over in Japan and that he really should consider it. It is a school for people like them: in the folds of high society, for their kids to get to know one another, and learn something internationally as well.

Dad latched onto that idea like a duck to water. Now she had applied to go and school was getting ready to start soon, but she still hadn't allowed herself to respond to the letter of acceptance letting the school know if they should prepare a room for her for the year or not. Dad was pushing for it, but something held her back.

"Dad says that if I go, I could study my music to a much higher degree than I likely would get to here," she began. "They have an entire music program over there. And you're about to go away anyway, so I'd be stuck here without anyone who really understands me." Oliver was about to move up to the University of Edinburgh to study and obtain his master's degree, leaving her at home alone again. "Dad says Ouran will allow me to get to know international studies first hand, which could help out the company, but I know I don't want to work at the company at all. But since you're going away, maybe it would be good for me to have my own adventure? But if I go, I lose the opportunity to join the Dean's college. Yes, I could study music in Japan, but I'd lose the opportunity to join completely. They don't accept anyone over the age of seventeen, so by the time I finished at Ouran my time would be passed to join the college. And even if I didn't go to Ouran, I could get a scholarship and study at university."

It was a major decision and she was completely torn between wanting to please her father and do what was right, and do what she wanted to do. "If I could give some advice?" Oliver asked.

"I'll take anything you offer," Ashley said, exhausted from thinking about it all. It was all so much.

"Do what you want to do. Maybe make a Pro/Con list. Write out your thoughts. That should tell you what you should do." All seriousness aside, he bounced up to his feet. "Now, enough hiding. Come on back down, and play for us all so I can sing to these wankers at that top of my lungs and make their ears bleed!"

Ashley cringed. "Oh, please, Oll, don't embarrass me!"

"But you're my seeeester!" He drew out the word teasingly, hugging her tight enough that she squeaked. "I have to embarrass you!"

Before he could release her from his embrace, she stopped him, gripping her hands around his arms. "I don't want you to go."

If he could hear the emotion in her voice, what she thought was obvious, try as she might not to cry - Oliver hated crying from anyone, but her stupid cycle seemed to have other plans - but he didn't comment on it. "I won't be far. Just up the road a ways. Maybe you could come visit me? See the University. Maybe you'll want to study there someday, too, if Dad doesn't make you go to Cambridge, as well." He chuckled. "But I'll always come back for you." He squeezed her once more, then released her shoulders and made his way to the door. Ashley placed the fall board back over the keys and stood as well, blinking rapidly before she turned, praying the air dried up the extra moisture in her eyes. Edinburgh seemed like so far away for her brother to go. Cambridge had been easier; at least it had been in the same country, and Oliver had come back to visit every weekend that he could. "Plus, I've got to defend your honor from any boy who looks at you."

She crossed the room in a flash, throwing her arms around him. For a moment, he let her hug him, then pretended to wig out. "Ugh! Sister germs! Get off me! You're touching me!" It was the same game they played with Sophia, who hated anyone to come within her space. Hug or no. His reaction brought a laugh bubbling up as they headed back to the party.

Edinburgh just seemed so far.

* * *

 _He wasn't here._

Barely four days after the interview and photo shoot with Jacob, which had also been that incredible night with Hiei, the article was released. Within a day, Sophia had had a copy of it overnighted to Japan, and as soon as she'd gotten her hands on it, she immediately flipped to the spread of gorgeous photos of her family against the historically urban backdrop of London, and three smaller photos of herself and Jacob lounging in the park in Tokyo.

The missing piece came to her like a bolt of lightning. The cafe she sat at suddenly narrowed until her ears were ringing with the shock.

She flipped through the pages again, looking for his familiar hearty smile that he always seemed to draw on for photos. Since they were growing up he always looked like the happiest child when he smiled because he usually was laughing at something whenever the photo was taken.

But even after a third glance through and then a quick skim, it was frighteningly obvious: Oliver had been left out of the article completely.

Jacob said he would be, but really, a part of her hadn't believed him.

Her brother, who she'd always been able to talk to, who was the most down-to-earth of everyone in her family, was missing from the article.

Immediately she was unlocking her phone to call her father.

"Dad!"

"Ashley?" His groggy voice croaked. He must have looked at the clock because all sleep was cleared from his voice immediately. "Are you okay? Why are you calling so early?"

In a flash, Ashley did the mental math for what time it was over there. Barely twelve in the morning. _Oops_.

In the background she could hear her Mum rouse from sleep as well, asking her father what was wrong.

"No, Dad, no," she hurriedly said in English, and kicking herself at the same time for calling without thinking. "I'm okay, I promise. I just forgot about timezones." Stupid fucking timezones.

The sigh that he let lose could be heard half a world away. "She's fine, Susan." He said away from the receiver, his voice slightly muffled. "Go back to sleep."

Ashley waited until he told her to continue, after a door clicked shut in the background. Knowing him, he was moving to his study where he could talk with her and not have to worry about waking her mum. She could see the house in her mind's eye and the halls he walked through to get to his study on the first floor.

"I just got the article that Jacob did and…" she trailed off, still as dumbfounded over it as she was the first time ten minutes previously. "Dad, why is Oliver not in here?"

"Your Mum and I were wondering if you were going to call about that," he relented, groaning as he likely sat in his favorite armchair. "It was a decision we made together, with Oliver. As I'm sure you're aware, he's going through some issues right now that he's working through."

Issues.

Did her dad really mean what she thought he meant?

"You mean that nonsense he's spouting about demons?" With Oliver, she'd always had a special connection. She'd always been able to be her blunt self without having to worry about accidentally offending him. With Sophia, they had banded together against the creep in the office. With Dad, she could be her true self to a point. Mum was a traditional Briton. She had always hated Ashley's bluntness, calling it rebellion. She'd never figured out where the "American" side of Ashley had come from.

Her Dad murmured in agreement. "It's not good for the company to be associated with those types of ideals. So, we decided, and your brother contributed to the idea himself, that he not be included in the article at all." Dad said it like he was proud of Oliver for making such an adult decision. Imagine, her nearly thirty one year old brother making an adult decision, when he practically ran the company already. Somehow, knowing Oliver, and how readily he stood behind his ideas once he had them, that decision to stay out of the article was not contributed to by him at all. Likely he didn't even suggest it.

Which made her wary of what her Dad wasn't telling her. But from the heavy silence, Ashley knew he was completely serious.

Her awe could probably be heard over the phone.

"You're serious."

He chuckled. "Of course I'm serious; _this_ is serious. Your Mum and I personally think he made a very smart decision. He's taking some time off right now to get his head back on straight, and in a few months, when he's ready, he'll come back."

He paused, letting that sink in. Quietly, gently, he finished with, "It'll be okay, Ashley. I promise."

Her dad, making promises. When he used that voice with any of them, when they were scared of a thunderstorm when they were children, or the monsters under the bed, or the news when things got serious, he would pull out his "Dad" voice: firm, but gentle enough to remind them that everything would be okay, and somehow it would be. Even when everything felt like it was falling apart.

Everything would be okay. So, when he said it, she believed him.

Even so, once they hung up, Ashley kept her phone out, hesitantly typing out a message.

Would he even want to hear from her? How far in with this stuff was he if Dad was purposefully sending him away?

He was her brother, though, and she had to trust that. It had been ten years since they'd hid in that room during the dinner party with the piano, but his words from that night came back to her. _You're my sister. I'll always come back for you._

She pressed send. _-I miss you.-_

 _ **\- End of Chapter Seventeen -**_

* * *

 **I first have to give a massive shout out to Hereafter and WistfulSin. In Hereafter's "Blinded by Light", her main character, Michi, can see the emotions that every living person has by "threads" of color. While the date scene with the light exhibit at the museum was actually inspired by a museum exhibit I wanted to take a girl I was dating to, it reminded me a lot of Hereafter's fic once I was finished with the scene. So, I snuck a quick reference to it in there, and I've got to shout it out. Also a huge huge thank you to WistfulSin. We were talking about body autonomy in the last two months and I knew I wanted to include a chapter where that was the center of conversation for at least a scene. It's important to see, even in fic, and I hope I did it justice. WistfulSin also has a chapter which body autonomy plays a part and she did a wonderful job with it. Her fic is "The Reborn Forgotten: Rewrite." You all should read both fics if you're not already. I'm not kidding, they're amazing.**

 **Second... we are halfway through part one, which is projected to be 34 chapters. (*silently freaks out*) HOW DID WE GET HERE?**

 **Has anyone gotten my references to Ouran High School Host Club? No one's said anything yet. If you have noticed it, don't worry; it'll come up in reference alone. I'm not crossing this story with it in any way. I just saw the opportunity back in chapter 1 and I've run with it; that's all.**

 **Thank you to _Kimimakku, Oddity Empress, ZeroDarkNex14, DizyWillow, WistfulSin, JohnGreenGirl,_ and Guest _(LostInThought)_ for reviewing chapter 16 and giving me all your lovely thoughts! Thank you to _The Water Drinker_ for reviewing chapter 3, and _musicnutftw_ for chapter 4. Oh my goodness; all your thoughts made my day, especially because pretty much every day this week was terrible. If you follow me on tumblr ( _follow me on tumblr: o-dragon05_ ), I posted a note yesterday that said this chapter would be posted sometime Saturday afternoon. I was expecting to have it out at 3pm my time, but I ended up taking a nap and slept for 3 hours so apparently this week took a lot out of me. So I'm sorry, again, for how late in the day that this chapter is.**

 **The chapter, itself, really means a lot to me. There are several things that are coming together in this chapter and I've been dying to post it since I wrote it, and especially since last week's chapter 16. I hope you all love it as much as I do. And I wrote in a last-minute-wrote in a scene that came to me on Thursday that I just had to include this chapter, which topped it off as the longest chapter to date. I think the scene makes it all the more special overall. So, if you like what you read, or if you want to offer any constructive criticism, please do so. I'm always looking to grow as an author.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I also do not own Ouran High School by Bisco Hatori. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	18. Attempt Two

Chapter Eighteen

 _Attempt Two_

" _What_ in the three worlds are you wearing?" It was abhorrent, the thing. It cloyed to her body, royal blue fabric tight with text littered over its folds.

"Oh," Ashley looked up with expectant happiness. "This? It's just my tardis dress!"

Hiei cocked one sly brow into the headband that hid his Jagan from view. Had Ashley just spoken a different language?

Her joyful expression faded, her jaw agape. "Wait, wait, wait. You mean you've never heard of the tardis? River Song? The Doctor? The sonic screwdriver? Wibbly wobbly timey wimey?" Her voice hitched on the last word, sending her tone up an octave.

When his expression took a worried turn for her mental state, she exclaimed, "Doctor Who!" Her hands grasped at air at her sides, as if she was trying to find something to grasp to drag her from this revelation that he had no idea what she was talking about.

Ashley heaved an exasperated sign, at a loss when faced with his lack of knowledge on the subject.

"Father would disown me if he knew," she muttered, smoothing a too-idle hand over the flounces of her blue dress. Hiei's arms remained crossed and he did not move from the doorway, waiting on her to pack up her supplies from the day.

"Are you finished?" he asked gruffly, not entirely sure how to comfort the woman so he remained awkwardly in the doorway.

"With my existential crisis?" Ashley whirled on him. "Not quite yet. I think I need to show you this for you to truly get it. It's not something I can just explain…" Indeed she was correct if the explanation involved more of that gibberish. Why this was such a big deal was beyond him, but could they at least get back to the flat before launching into a lesson?

But no, Ashley opened her laptop and turned it on once more, motioning to him to step closer. Fifteen minutes later, she'd given him a very thorough lesson in the dynamics on Doctor Who, and exactly what it was.

Hiei had come to stand behind her chair, arms still crossed in visible discomfort, but he was there. Ashley waited for his recognition, a breath suspended in her chest.

"It still doesn't make sense."

A frustrated cry slipped past her lips, head falling to her desk in defeat.

In the same beat, she shot back up in her seat and rounded on him. "But-But this is Doctor Who. Between the Doctor and Harry Potter I'd lose my status as British if I didn't like them. They're part of me! And you don't even know-"

"What on earth is wrong with you?" Hiei snipped, turning away and walking back to the door frame where he stuck his head out the door, glancing around. "It's like you're a different person."

Ashley motioned to the empty drink container on her desk. "Luis brought me a frappuccino today. I haven't had a frappuccino in forever!" She dragged out the last word, a goofy smile plastered on her face, her eyes alight. "You seem tense," she muttered, rising and closing the distance between them, but reaching for his hand anyway. "Stop worrying."

"How am I supposed to do that? Hell, I'm worrying enough for both of us." Hiei snatched his hand away quickly, not allowing Ashley to take hold. "She's been silent for long enough. This doesn't make sense."

Dion was all about the dramatic: all about the _show_ of things. For as long as he'd been tracking the Legion, that fact was obvious. They should have seen her by now, at least watching in shadow of the trees if nothing else, but there'd been absolutely nothing. Even the Jagan hadn't picked up her energy at all. At least nowhere near Ashley, which had been a relief, yes, but it was suspicious that she'd been silent so long. Really, the last time he'd really heard from her was that night that he had found her in the trees outside Ashley's apartment after he'd gotten back from Sendai.

Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't realize he'd snatched his hand away from Ashley until he saw the disappointment that etched on her face before she tried to hide it.

Immediately, the emotion disappeared beneath a look of helpful encouragement. He hesitated, unsure how to fix whatever it was he'd just done. Was she still upset? He was never any good at this couple stuff. Back in Demon World, yes, he'd laid with demonesses in the past when the interest came about him, but none of those interests had attributes he was looking in a partner, and after the night was over they parted, never to run across each other's paths again.

Not to say that he wanted to make Ashley his partner right then, but she'd caught his attention and his interest. And so far, that interest hadn't run out.

Chewing on her lip, and gazing at the seats lined up in rows in front of her desk, Ashley began, "It's not that I'm not worrying, but I'm trying not to focus on it. If I start to focus on it, my worry spirals into anxiety, and I find myself not focusing on everything else I should be, you know? I can't live in fear."

With a quick smirk, her hesitation turned to teasing. "Besides. I leave all the worrying to you. You worry enough for the both of us, anyway."

"We should probably have something a bit more even," Hiei muttered, but Ashley ignored him.

"Shall we get going?" She asked, turning to shut her computer down again and tossed the frappuccino in the trash.

* * *

"Um, Hiei?"

"Yes?"

"What did you do?"

The tiny stage was lit with a single light highlighting a piano. Around it clustered booths and chairs and stools all packed together. A bar was set up in a corner, but at the same time, the scent of coffee wafted through the air. The room wasn't near capacity. A group of what looked to be college students and a few lower-class demons had pulled some tables together and were lounging, their empty beer bottles already having an effect on them. And only three booths were taken. One held three older people, the second, a woman with silver hair, sipping on some sort of drink, and the third, a couple holding hands and leaning against each other.

"Kurama helped me with it." And it was true. Hiei had gone to Kurama after the dinner with Eckhart a week prior and told the fox demon what he wanted to do, but confessed he was at a loss as to how to do it. Or rather, Kurama pulled it out of him that Hiei wasn't sure exactly how to organize the information he had, but he knew he wanted to do something with it.

The joy that had been apparent the first time he'd seen her play had been beautiful, and he realized he wanted to re-create it. When Hiei had told Kurama of Ashley's dream, Kurama had been the one to suggest something along these lines, and then showed Hiei how to wipe the history on a computer.

After she'd gotten in the shower one morning, Hiei had sneakily borrowed Ashley's computer to research how to do what he wanted to do, shushing Knox when he caught the corgi staring at him.

If she'd noticed that her computer had suddenly forgotten all her auto-fill passwords, she didn't say anything.

"Kurama doesn't have enough information about me for something like this." Ashley muttered, sending a side-eye glance in Hiei's direction. He stood casually, hands shoved into his pockets, eyes scanning the crowd. No one in the room had any sort of threatening energy. Just people and demons enjoying music and having a good time. "A lot of this had to be you."

"You once said you wanted to be a concert pianist, and I looked it up," he admitted, his words muttered. It felt like all eyes were on him at that moment, like everyone in the room was watching him admit to her, "Concert pianists play for other people. I thought it fit."

After a moment where Ashley merely stared open-mouthed at him, she stood on her tip-toes and reached up to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

"Your time slot is at 9." With a quick glance at her phone, she realized she had approximately twenty minutes before she was supposed to go on. Still, Hiei didn't look directly at her.

"You want to get a drink?" He asked instead of acknowledging her very public display of affection. That was one thing he would have to ask her to stop, even as little as she did it. Still, it was one thing if they were completely alone or away from people. It was another if it was in front of anyone else: known or unknown.

With that, Ashley pulled Hiei over to the bar where he bought a bottle of sake after a quick jab of, "No frappuccinos for you."

Laughing, Ashley led the way to a table, just off to the side of the piano, where Hiei would be able to watch her as she played and wouldn't have to face her back. The person who was currently playing was a soft, lifting melody. As they sat, Hiei poured Ashley a cup before himself, then crossed his right leg at the ankle over his left knee, leaning back. Ashley grew quiet. Her sake forgotten, she stared at the piano before them, her right hand tapping something on the table that he couldn't hear. He suspected whatever she was tapping was in her head.

"Nervous?" He finally asked, pitching his voice low. Few people talked with actual volume in the room, and picking up on the pattern, he mimicked how they spoke. He leaned forward, uncrossing his leg and bracing his forearms on his knees. Ashley leaned back so he could hear her without her having to turn completely.

"Kind of?" She said it like it was a question, but Hiei heard it in her voice. She was definitely nervous; her voice held a vibrato that she rarely had. "It's been so long since I've actually played… Like, I have a lot in my head… muscle memory and all that, but I wish I could have polished something up."

Hiei knit his brows together. Had he fucked this up somehow?

He wasn't able to ponder it for too long, however, before there was light applause at the end of the boy's piece, and he stood to bow. "How long do I have?" Ashley quickly turned in her seat to face him.

The sight of her as she turned towards him caught him off-guard for a moment. The spotlight above her silhouetted her face. If he hadn't been sitting so close to her and if the room hadn't been in semi-darkness, she might have appeared completely in shadow. As it were, she appeared to have a halo behind her head, as her gaze, sharp with perception, caught his at just the right moment. In recent weeks the spiritual energy that he'd once sought for had been growing, infinitesimally slow, but it had been growing. He wasn't even sure if Ashley had any idea that it was there, but it had built up into something that was noticeable. Now, he gently pushed his own energy against hers, feeling the nervous excitement that filed her spiritual energy.

As meek as it was against his, she felt like a storm about to break.

However, he didn't voice any of this, or let the sudden surge of affection for this person reach his tone. "Half an hour," he said, leaning back. "Think that's enough time?"

She smirked. "Watch me."

Something in the pit of his stomach lit on fire at that.

He did watch her. He watched her as she rose from her seat, her sake completely untouched from anxious anticipation, and crossed between tables and stools to the stage where the host, some guy wearing jeans with a button-up tucked in and a blazer offered her a hand up to the stage. Hiei watched her settle onto the piano bench, test the pedals and a few of the keys. He watched her take a breath, and close her eyes to release it, as if she was calming herself the way he often did before a battle. Her hands settled on the keys.

Slowly, she drew the music out, forming crest, upon crest, upon crest. It was a slow piece, and she stumbled here and there, her brows knitting together in concentration as she tried to work out playing for the second time after such a long absence from the piano. It was still a beautiful sound, and he recognized it from the digital CD she had on her iPod, but this version was, if anything, lacking in the emotion that she was able to get across through the earpieces.

The piece came to an end with light applause, the occupants of the piano bar quickly going back to their individual conversations.

Ashley caught Hiei's gaze across the dark bar. He was certain she would have a hard time seeing out from the spotlight, but she managed a slight nod, pressing her lips into a line. _Watch me_. He did watch.

In an explosion of sound, her hands began flying across the piano keys, the melody lifting and powerful and hopeful. The raw emotion she was able to bring out from just a few notes was nearly astonishing, especially after the lack-luster performance she had just given; it was a power unto itself. Whereas the previous performer had chosen something more soft-spoken in it's tune, Ashley had thrown caution to the wind. As she moved from piece to piece, traveling from powerful and hopeful to forlorn and mourning, to determined, Hiei could see the emotion she was playing for with each note. It was clear as day to him, and apparently it was apparently to everyone else in the room. Nearly everyone had stilled their conversations and were now watching her performance.

 _This_ was the Ashley who pulled emotions tight and toyed with them through the earbuds she often lent him. Not the Ashley who had barely managed the piece at the beginning; it was like she had just been warming up.

And Ashley. Ashley was a sight to behold as she played. Pride rose in his chest. Now, two emotions had overcome him in such a brief amount of time that he rarely identified himself feeling apart from when Yukina was around. And still, this was a different sort of pride, and before it had been a different sort of affection. Something was different that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

* * *

Ashley was just tipsy enough to be a little more touchy than she normally was. Honestly, Hiei had an idea that she usually was a touchy sort of person. She'd tried to take his hand earlier that day, even, when he was upset about Dion. She'd reached over to his thigh when they were in the middle of dinner with Eckhart. She usually shivered if he touched the small of her back. It was astonishing to him that she didn't try to touch him more often, like she was that night: she had intertwined her fingers through his as they walked through the darkened streets of Tokyo.

Hiei was not a touchy person. He liked his space and he liked being left alone. If anyone were to come within his space they would likely lose a limb. However, he hadn't said anything or pulled away as Ashley had intertwined her fingers through his as they walked. She needed the support more than anything, as she was relatively tipsy, which was what he told himself he was doing: providing her support.

"I want you to know," Ashley was saying as Hiei scanned the surrounding area. He didn't dare activate his Jagan. Even though it was late at night, people still milled about, and with it being dark the telltale glow of the Jagan would immediately catch the unnecessary attention of anyone nearby, including Ashley. He instead kept an ear out, constantly scanning any place a certain demoness could be hiding: in the fire escapes, in the trees, on the rooftops, in the alleyways. "I really enjoyed tonight. Thank you."

"But," she continued, "We've now done two things that I've wanted to do. Why don't we do something you you like to do next?"

The sentiment behind her words floored him. It was impossible to him that this woman in front of him would want to do anything that interested him.

Still, rather than letting that show, he went a different route. "This mess has been going on for so long I've nearly forgotten anything that I might have liked to do in the past. And at any rate," he said, smirking back at her. "I don't think you could keep up." His full intention was to allude to sparring and battle. However, the mischievous glint that formed in Ashley's eyes told a different story.

"Is that a challenge?" she toyed with him, clutching his black jacket and pulling him closer with a playful smirk.

The effect of her words on him was almost immediate, but before he could properly react, he pulled Ashley into a nearby alley way, just far enough back that no one who happened to look down the alley would notice them. They were away from prying eyes, and utterly and completely alone.

He cornered her against the wall, her back bouncing against it as she retreated into it, her eyes alight. "Why don't you show me _exactly_ what you can do?" she asked provocatively, biting her bottom lip in a tease.

The fire that roared through him nearly drowned out all perceptible thought. He caught that lip between his teeth, pushing her up against the wall as she gasped. Quickly, he moved to capture her gasp between his lips and kissed her, hard. Hesitantly, her hand moved to the hem of his shirt and slowly crept underneath, her fingers skimming over his skin and raising the gooseflesh. Her soft body beneath his was everything he remembered her to be. Soft, pliant, forgiving, and he felt himself begin lose himself.

Hiei heard her before he saw her.

Immediately, he broke the kiss that he and Ashley shared, and she was behind him as he slipped into a crouch, readying himself for whatever Dion was going to try. Cursing, he wished he had his sword. He could take her hand to hand, but it would be easier with his weapon. He activated his Jagan immediately, it's power locking onto Dion's spiritual energy at once.

 _How_ had she found them? Had she been spying on them the entire time? How had he missed her? Even without the Jagan he was adept at locating demons.

"Well, I don't mean to interrupt," Dion purred from the shadows. Hiei could just barely make out her outline, the glint of her eyes sharp in the light that streamed in from the alley way opening. "Please, continue. I had forgotten you even knew what passion was, Hiei; it was quite a sight."

Behind him, Ashley stilled, her heart pounding beneath her skin.

"But really, I was just coming to check on you. Wanted to let you know we haven't forgotten, is all." She stalked from the shadows, the darkness circling about her feet like it was carried on a forgotten wind. "I would hate to think you forgot about me."

Hiei didn't dare lash out at the demoness and leave Ashley unprotected, but still, she taunted him, trying to draw him away from Ashley.

"Oh?" Dion caught on immediately, even though Hiei didn't deign her with words. "No love left for me? That's alright, then. I do enjoy our little game of cat and mouse. And it's gotten more interesting hasn't it?" Her eyes slid from Hiei's to Ashley's behind him. "You _are_ prettier in person. I can see why he likes you."

"That's none of your business," Hiei snarled, one hand protectively pressed against Ashley's waist as he kept her behind him.

Dion turned her gaze back towards him, one delicate brow raised. Even in the darkness her hair glowed like a flame. "I think it is my business, Hiei. And our Great Mother agrees." She asked the last question to Ashley, who stood still as stone. A silent smirk spread over her features as she whispered, "Ciao," and disappeared.

Hiei continued to stand protectively in front of Ashley scanning the area with his Jagan, until he was confident she was actually somewhere in China. They were alone again. For now.

As much as he didn't want to show Ashley who he was in this way, there was no way he was comfortable with powering the Jagan down in case Dion decided to show up for act two.

Avoiding Ashley's gaze and scanning the area around them, Hiei said turned, saying, "I think it's best we avoid the subway tonight."

It took him longer than it should have to realize Ashley was shaking like a leaf. He'd removed his hand from her waist as he turned, which meant he had no way of knowing right away. As soon as he did though, he grit his teeth and stepped away. "You shouldn't have to deal with this."

Ashley closed the distance again, not quite touching. "I'm just glad you were here. I don't know what I would have done if I'd just been here with her and Kurama's _seeds_. Are you okay?"

For the first time since Dion had appeared, Hiei met Ashley's gaze and took her in. She was shaking, yes, but she was standing. And she wasn't staring at the dull glow of his Jagan as he had been worried she would be. She was staring up into his face, searching his eyes. For what? Reassurance? Advice? Neither of which he was good at.

He scoffed, taking a step back once more. "Why are you so worried about me when you're shaking!"

She looked away immediately, stepping back and interlacing her fingers in front of her. The area outside the alley way had grown quiet, the murmurs of passerby fading into the night. Lashing out seemed to be his specialty, no matter how much time passed. "I didn't mean to show you like this, but I think it would be better if I carried you."

Her eyes widened as she was rendered speechless. Hiei waited for her response.

Finally, " _Carry me?_ "

The journey back from Tokyo to Sarayashiki passed much faster in Hiei's arms bridal style than riding the subway ever would. Hiei tried not to think of the way her body pressed up against his chest or how her arms wrapped securely around his neck. Their moment had passed when Dion had interrupted. They likely wouldn't get it back that night.

Not like Ashley seemed to be in the mood anyway. Her thoughts seemed far away as she gazed off into the distance as Hiei sprinted through the night over the buildings of Tokyo as they made their way to the outskirts.

They would have gone all the way out, too, all the way to her apartment building if the scent of blood hadn't caught his attention.

They were nearly home. Just a few minutes more and they would have reached their destination. But the scent of blood was too much to ignore.

Hiei paused on a building's edge, Ashley cradled in his arms as he sniffed the air, trying to determine where the scent came from.

"Hiei?" Ashley asked, his name small on the wind.

"I can smell blood, and," he trailed off, but he could see in Ashley's face when she filled in the blanks.

"Do what you need to do."

Her words were small, but there was no judgment behind them. Hiei shared a nod with Ashley and then dropped them to the street below, allowing Ashley to stand beside him. On shaky legs, she stepped away from him, almost too quickly, with a brief word of thanks.

Ignoring her for the moment and how that simple action threaded disappointment through him, he took her hand again - again for support, he convinced himself - and they made their way through the maze of streets to an alley way where trash and crates had been spilled and overturned.

The scent of blood got stronger the closer they got to the wreckage. In a heap beneath a crate, the demon Mako lay, golden eyes staring up at them as if he was anticipating them coming the entire time.

Ashley recognized him in an instant. "Mako!" she cried and tried to rush towards him, but Hiei held firm to her hand, holding her back and preventing her from taking another step toward the demon. She couldn't even hold a candle to his strength; he was completely in control. Confusion twisted with anger across her face as she looked back at him over her shoulder. She'd let go of his hand, but he held hers fast. "What are you doing, Hiei?"

Leveling his crimson gaze at her, he replied evenly, "It could be a trap. What do you know about him after all?" His gaze shot to Mako's, who still hadn't said a word. "Are you with the Legion, _Oblivion_?"

It looked like it took a great deal of effort, but Mako worked in a breath as his eyes narrowed. "Hell no." The wound at his stomach glistened with blood.

"What do you mean, Hiei? He's my student." Hurt colored her words, but Hiei didn't bother to apologize. Not yet. If he was Legion, she could thank him later.

"The Legion can hide anywhere and be anyone. Besides, he's an Oblivion. You can't trust their loyalty," Hiei sneered.

Ashley stopped pulling on his hand, standing up straighter and looking back down at Mako. Blood covered his body, staining the navy sweatshirt he wore and dried across his face. Biting her lip, she glanced back at Hiei and squeezed his hand. "Look, I don't know what an Oblivion is, or any stereotypes, but," and she turned back to Mako, whose gaze hadn't left hers. "He is my student. And I need to help him. If he attacks me or make any motion to harm me, you can step in. Is that reasonable?"

Hiei caught Mako's gaze again, the liquid gold pathetic in the position he was in. "You heard her: you hurt her, I'll gut you. And I'll do it better than the last guy did."

Mako merely nodded, shaking with the effort it took for the simple action. "Got it," he wheezed, and Hiei released Ashley's hand. Immediately she closed the distance between herself and Mako, and kneeling beside him only to fuss over him as she wasn't sure what to do.

"We need to get you to the hospital, I think," she said, her hands carefully lifting up the fabric of his sweatshirt. From where Hiei stood, it looked like something sharp had definitely entered his torso, but off to the side, like the Oblivion dodged before the object had hit home.

"No," Mako's response was swift. "No hospitals."

"But you need medical assistance," Ashley replied, her expression lost as to why he would refuse medical care when he could barely move. It was obvious to Hiei immediately, but he kept his mouth shut, and Mako shook his head, repeating, "No hospitals."

Sighing in exasperation, she looked back to Hiei for assistance, her expression pleading. "Help me?"

* * *

It was Hiei that got Mako back to the flat. He didn't carry him bridal style as he had with Ashley, but instead carried the demon on his back. Every so often Hiei would exchange a glance with the girl, only for her to grimace in apology. Why on earth she continued to make that ridiculous expression, though, was beyond him.

Once inside, Hiei deposited Mako at the _kotatsu_ , leaning the navy-haired boy back against the table as he groaned in pain.

"End your act for sympathy, Oblivion. It's obvious it's just a flesh wound," Hiei growled under his breath as Ashley slipped away to the closet to retrieve the first aid kit.

Mako peeled one eyelid back as he griped his torso. "Not everyone has the S-class energy levels to make an impaling a _flesh wound_." He spat the words as if they were the most insulting words that could be uttered.

"Can you two please pause the sarcasm for a _moment_?" Ashley nearly growled as she slipped between the two and fell to her knees in front of Mako.

Hiei stepped back, letting Ashley strip the sweatshirt from Mako's body as he grit his teeth against a groan of pain. A fierce feeling of protection flooded his veins, and in that instant he wanted to step between Ashley and Mako and separate them at once.

It wasn't necessary; Ashley kept her hands busy with the materials needed to properly disinfect the wound and the gauze to wrap it. Mako wouldn't take his eyes off Hiei.

"How did you learn to do this?" Mako asked Ashley, trying to make conversation.

Hiei saw her hesitate for a split second, her hands stilling for a brief moment, before she continued to clean the wound.

"I'm not completely worthless. Believe it or not, I speak English, _and_ I have survived 23 years." Her own sarcasm slipped out, helped along by the boys' inability to speak anything else to each other. Then, more seriously, she said, "My Father taught me a thing or two about surviving. Even if we're in the city, I can at least use the skills. And from what I can tell, you'll survive." A smile played on her lips as Mako returned the smile, his eyes crinkling. "And it's not an impaling," she tacked on in good humor.

Hiei lounged against the wall opposite them, next to Ashley's futon, arms crossed against his chest, looking every bit the intimidating demon that legend made him out to be. Every muscle was tense with agitation, and anticipation for the demon across from him to be out of the flat ate away at his nerves.

Mako caught his gaze.

"You still don't believe I'm not with the Legion," he uttered in disbelief as Ashley wrapped his torso with the gauze. That wasn't it at all. Hiei, just didn't like the demon, but he kept his mouth shut.

Ashley, however, shot Hiei a questioning glance before turning back to the task at hand. Before Hiei could cut him off, Mako crossed the invisible line by shooting at him, "If you don't believe me, just read my thoughts; take a look inside my brain. You'll find everything you're not looking for."

It was as if the air drained from the room.

A pin could have dropped. Hiei was very aware that Ashley tensed and was trying to remind herself to keep breathing. Hiei, on the other hand, could have plunged his hand into Mako's chest and stopped his heart right then if Ashley hadn't been in the room. Damned Oblivions always getting in the way. That was just like their kind. Always meddling in things they shouldn't.

"Oh," the word stretched out between the three of them as Mako put it all together. At least he wasn't as stupid as he was meddling. "You're keeping it from her, aren't you?"

Hiei stepped forward, every intention to threaten him until the sun rose the next morning, but Ashley moved instead, and Mako flinched, a small yelp emitting as he hunched over his wound.

"Oh, does that hurt? Right there?" She was so polite about it. Just a simple question, but the edge was evident in her words as she threatened, "Keep talking and it'll hurt worse."

Mako was nodding immediately, still hunkered over his wound.

"And Hiei," his name caught his attention immediately, soft between her lips. "Please don't agitate my patient."

He was expecting anything else from her. Anything. Frustration washed over him.

As he turned, he said curtly, "I'll take post outside. I'm not going to deal with this tonight." Not sparing a second glance toward Ashley or Mako, he unlatched the patio door and stepped outside, disappearing into the night.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Eighteen -**_

* * *

 **Thank you to _WistfulSin,_ and _DizyWillow_ for your lovely comments on Chapter Seventeen!**

 **Fun fact: The tardis scene was the first that I ever wrote between Ashley and Hiei. Originally… she wasn't on a sugar rush. That was just her personality. As I got to know her better, though, I realized, this is her on a sugar rush. But I'm really glad I got to include this scene.**

 **So, I've been doing a lot of thinking this past month, and there's been some stuff going on in my personal life where I feel like I want to and I need to take a short hiatus. Not only do I want to get caught up writing chapters (I'd like to have another 10 in my bank), but I also really need to take care of a few personal things. So, I'm going to take a short hiatus to work on them and so I can have time to work on this fic. I'll be back either on March 10 or March 17; I'm not really sure... Check my tumblr, and I'll post it there as we get closer. Link is in my bio. The date I come back from hiatus will really depend a lot on where I am with those personal things by that time. And by then, I may decide to begin posting once every 10 days, or once every two weeks. I'm excited to see what these next few weeks are going to hold, but I need to take some time to make sure everything works out okay. I hope you guys understand.**

 ***Great Mother = very similar to Graphospasm's "Grand Mother" in Future Talk. I've spoken to Graph since it's so similar, and she gave me the okay to use the term!**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	19. A Moment To Pause

Chapter Nineteen

 _A Moment to Pause_

There was no talking until the sun rose.

There was no trying to get to know Mako.

Once Ashley told him to take the futon and he refused, she pulled a pillow and blanket from her closet to at least give to him. They were the same pillow and blanket that Hiei had used during the typhoon.

And Mako, she learned as she rose for the day, had left without a word, leaving the pillow and blanket folded neatly on the kotatsu.

The patio door slid open on its greased track as Ashley stood over the two items.

She didn't even need to look at who it was who entered her home. If it had been Dion, she would already be dead. Kurama always used the front door. It could only be Hiei.

The room stilled between them as the door slid shut again.

Really, she wanted to ask about everything she'd learned the night before: Why had his forehead been glowing beneath his headband? What was his power? Why had he suddenly walked out of her flat the night before with barely a backwards glance? What, exactly, was an Oblivion? And more than anything, what did Mako mean when he said Hiei could read his mind?

Who exactly was she falling for?

Even though she wanted to ask question after question, she also knew that Hiei's impatience would likely get the better of him.

"I want to know you," Ashley said softly as she picked up the blanket and pillow, not daring to face him as she felt her face heat. "All of you. I know there's a lot you're not ready to share, but please know that when you are I will be ready to listen."

It was a soft promise, but it was one that she needed him to know. More than wanting to know about him, she needed to know about him. Because truly, it felt like she didn't know him at all. Especially after last night.

And the distance between them had never felt so great.

Ashley didn't think he would answer, which, when she turned away to put the pillow and blanket away, she barely caught the words, "I'll let you know." By the time she turned to meet his gaze, just a split second after he spoke, he was already gone, leaving the void in her chest open like a gaping wound.

* * *

Ashley didn't see Hiei for the next few days.

It was odd. Usually he spent his evenings at her flat, milling about, doing whatever, but just spending time with her. After the fifth time she cooked for him, he had insisted on doing the dishes afterward. But since her date with Hiei to the piano bar - the piano bar that had sent a tidal wave of deja vu to befall her as soon as she'd entered, and then again as she played - he'd been strangely absent from her life.

She knew it had something to do with how Dion had showed up unannounced and then Mako had joined them, but if only he would talk to her, maybe they could figure it out. Or heck, return her texts to tell her he was on a job or something. Just communicate!

It was their second date that had somehow gotten interrupted. If she believed in that sort of thing she might think that she was cursed and they would never go on an actual date that went well.

But it was also just date two, she had to remind herself.

Still, for the next few days she only received radio silence from Hiei. At first, she gave him space. He wasn't the type to openly talk about his _feelings_ , she knew, but by day three with nothing from him, Ashley had started feeling worried. Finally drawing the nerve to text him a quick, _-I miss you-_ , she sent the message, pocketed the phone, and headed straight for the music hall, knowing exactly what she needed to calm her nerves.

The piano in the large lecture hall was the only one she knew that existed in the building. Surely there were others, but where they were exactly in the building, she had yet to discover. As Ashley rounded the corner of the hallway, the sweet notes of a violin greeted her ears, the music growing louder as she walked through the hallways to find her piano.

The tune was familiar long before she reached the doorway, but by the time she was able to look into the room, she knew it by heart. It was a piece, _Zenith_ , by Dirk Maassen that she had learned after she heard it for the first time, falling in love with it immediately. Of course, she had only heard it played on the piano. Now, it was breathed to life by the violin, and the young boy playing it; the young boy with the violet hair.

The emotion that he was able to pull from the instrument as he created the notes was mesmerizing. And Ashley would know her student from anywhere.

Mako's eyes were closed to the world, lost in the music he created. The piano sat next to him, waiting for someone to play it.

Quietly, carefully, Ashley crossed the room to sit at the piano. Still, Mako did not open his eyes.

Ashley listened for the right moment, and then entered the piece with the piano, the notes cascading through the air and waking Mako from his reverie abruptly. The violin screeched to a halt as he jumped backwards, taken by surprise.

Ashley, however, did not stop playing. She knew the notes by heart, not even needing to keep watch at where her fingers landed, but instead kept eye contact with Mako, encouraging him to keep playing.

After that initial shock of surprise, and Mako registering what was happening, he lifted the violin back to the crook of his neck, and played.

Back during her competition days, Ashley had been known as Ashley Lynn Wright, and was known especially for the way she could pull emotion from the lightest notes, moving the audience towards tears or joy effortlessly. When she played, she had control of the audience, even if creation was not her specialty. Whereas other musicians could take a piece and create something new from it immediately, Ashley could only read her sheet music and play what was there. Creation always seemed like a long-off dream. No matter how hard she focused, she could only ever seem to stick to what she knew, not having that instinctive ability to fit in new notes between those that were already there spontaneously.

Mako, however, seemed to be the type of musician she had always wanted to be. Even though _Zenith_ was a fairly complete piece on it's own, he added notes that were not originally in the piece as if he were creating an entirely new piece of music from thin air. Even after playing the notes time and time again, Ashley was always stuck playing other people's music; never her own. And yet, Mako seemed to weave melodies and harmonies together as if it was breathing. His face wasn't even scrunched in concentration. It seemed effortless for him.

Together, they created a piece that was wholly unlike anything Ashley had ever played with another person, at least without some sort of sheet music. It was beautiful and moving and powerful, and they fed off each other, listened to each other, until the end, where Ashley's notes died away, and Mako pulled out a stunning melody, only to let it fade away.

What could they do, then, except stare at each other? Both flushed, both breathing hard from the excitement of playing dually.

"What on earth?"

Mako glanced down to the floor, a small smile playing on his lips. "It seems you know my secret."

"No wonder you're always so quiet in class; you keep this locked up!" Ashley motioned to him, all of him, as a laugh bubbled past his lips. "Do you study music? How…?"

"I do study music here. I'm on scholarship for a year."

Only a year. "And then what?"

"And then, I'll have to find some other way to play."

The look of lost desperation filled his gaze and fell off him in waves, even though he didn't look directly at her. Clenching her teeth, Ashley scooted over on the piano bench, and tapped it for him to sit.

Hesitantly, Mako placed the violin back in it's case with the bow, and moved across the room to sit next to his English teacher. His hand raked through his hair, nervously, but he sat awkwardly next to her anyway, favoring his right side, the same side that had sported his wound. It didn't seem possible that he was already moving again. Already back at school to learn, especially after finding him in the street just days prior.

Ashley watched him watch her, and finally started pulling a soft melody from the piano. Knowing Mako, and knowing how he acted in class, he wouldn't answer her directly if she asked. Hoping the music might pull him out of his shell, she asked, absently, "What do you mean?"

Tentatively, Mako took over the melody as Ashley's notes faded, and Mako created a melody. It was soft and easy. Nothing too fast or too carefully thought out. "When I came over from Demon World," he began, his words more carefully thought out than the notes he played. Good, the music coaxed it out of him. It still sounded like he left bits of his story out, but at least he was talking to her and not merely glaring at her like he did in class. "I was on the streets. It was one night when I spent the night in an alley beneath a window that I first heard a violin. After that, I was captivated…" he hesitated; Ashley could see the gears in his mind as he tried to tell her the story without giving too much away. Ever the silent one… much like another certain demon in her life. A smile found its way to Ashley's lips as he continued, "I found myself here, at the University, and they offered me the scholarship. For one year I'm able to take any class I want. After that I don't know what I'll do."

His melody faded, and Ashley picked it back up again, weaving it between them. He sounded so desolate. He was very aware, it seemed, of the time that had passed, and the time that was left. Which occurred to her, "So you've only been playing since April?"

He hummed in reply.

"So you're a natural, then," she mused.

Before she could ask anything else, Mako asked, "And how long have you been playing?"

A light laugh slipped from Ashley's lips as her student joined in the melody. She let her notes fade out. "Over a decade. I started taking when I was little. Had a short break, but I'm trying to get back into it again."

"How lucky you are," Mako breathed. "This is all I know. All I want to know." Yes, there was something he definitely wasn't saying. But, with as closed-off as he usually was, Ashley didn't dare press her luck. Yes, he was speaking now, and while that seemed to be with the aid of the piano, she didn't want to see just how lucky she was. As with Hiei, she figured Mako would open up in his own time.

Before she could come up with a response, however, he was already moving on to the next subject, "So, you're dating then?" the abrupt change causing her something akin to whiplash.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Hiei. You're dating Hiei." He said it like a statement, not a question as he had the first time. "Ren and Tetsuya had said they thought you were, but I had to see it with my own eyes. I never thought he would ever open up to anyone." Not knowing how to respond, Mako took the opportunity away from her, "So you like him, then?"

He asked it like he was incredulous, like he was surprised.

A flame of immediate protection surged through her. As if Hiei would ever need protecting, came the immediate afterthought. "I do like him. A lot," she added.

"Does he feel the same about you?"

"I think so," she replied, taking the melody back from him. It was soothing on her nerves as she opened up to this stranger next to her.

"You need to know it, not think it." Mako said, his words encouraging. "If you care for him him, don't lose him." He spoke as if he knew the feeling, himself.

Glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes, wondering how on earth he could possibly know how she felt like she was losing him, she caught, again the black and blue bruises along his jaw.

This incredible person, with such incredible talent, beaten to near death. What could have possibly happened that this boy next to her was taken to death's doorstep? That night, nearly a week ago, he most likely would have died if she and Hiei hadn't stumbled upon him. She would never have heard him play. No one might have ever heard him play.

"Who did this to you?"

A beat of silence passed. Ashley realized she had stopped playing.

"Humans."

The single word wasn't as effective as it should have been. "Why? Did you get into a fight?" she asked, not quite catching on to his meaning.

"No," Mako lightly pressed a key, soft enough that it made a half-muted sound. "They noticed my eyes aren't the same color as everyone else's, and they assumed. They assumed correct, but their assumptions and their hatred led to a knife being shoved into my side."

Her mouth gaped like a fish, floundering, trying to find the questions she wanted to ask before deciding they wouldn't be polite.

Mako noticed. "Go ahead. Ask whatever it is you're thinking. I know a lot of demons have adopted Japanese customs, but most of our people are not governed by any specific rules."

"I thought you could pass?" Her words were small, lost in the memory of remembering the conversation she'd had with Ren and him all those weeks ago regarding Tetsuya.

As calmly as if he was talking about the weather, Mako replied, "I can pass as long as no one gets too close. Beyond that, stepping outside on any given day could mean death."

Silence pressed in between them. Then, "I had no idea."

He smiled a sad sort of smile. The kind that spoke volumes more than any words could. "Of course you wouldn't. You've never had to experience hatred of this sort, am I right? Never worried about your safety just to go outside? Most of your life has been peaceful? Your boyfriend goes through the same fears, I'm sure. None of us are safe, Ashley, especially if we show our power, no matter how benign it is."

A flash of deja vu slipped through at his words, taking her aback. What about what he said was giving her this sensation? Not knowing how to respond, and realizing too much time had passed between the end of his statement and now, she picked up a slow melody from the notes Mako had been pressing. "You should talk to him," he finally said.

He was right, of course, but rather than stay on that subject, she changed it again. She'd look back at those thoughts when she was alone that night, because surely, she would be alone in her flat as she had been for the last few days. Since the morning that Mako had left and Hiei had disappeared on the wind she'd spent every evening alone. For so many weeks she had had Hiei's company in the evenings, even if they didn't speak, it was a companionable silence.

And his absence was like a giant hole in her chest. Even breathing was difficult when she started to think about it too much.

She knew what he was doing, of course. It was what he always did when he got spooked.

"What is your dream?" Ashley asked instead, forcing those thoughts away for the time being, and finding herself in the room again with Mako next to her. Once more, she passed the melody back to Mako, letting him take it and create something from it.

He paused, simply letting the notes fill the room. "I want to study music long-term. I haven't really thought much past that. That and surviving. But I want to play."

"Funny; that's my dream, too."

"Then you should do it." The melody abruptly came to a halt and Mako turned to her, insistent. A light, a fervor had caught in his eyes. "If that is what you want to do, then you should go after it with everything you have in you. Life is too short."

Before coming to Japan, his sudden insistence might have alarmed her, but now? No, it only filled Ashley with a determination. Not only was Hiei encouraging her - when he was speaking to her - but Mako as well.

"I plan to."

"And with Hiei," Mako continued, glancing back at the piano as if only realizing he'd stopped playing. Ashley could almost see the shell stretching back over him. The brief half hour she'd gotten him to open up was almost over, like Cinderella and her pumpkin. "You should talk to him, too."

She was silent for a beat, and then picked the melody back up, hoping to keep the conversation going just a little longer. "Can I ask you something?"

He murmured in agreement, taking the melody from her.

"Stop me if - if I'm crossing a line, please. But, Hiei said something last night, about an Oblivion," she spoke the word carefully, not sure if she had it correct. "What is that?"

He scoffed. "He hasn't explained anything to you yet, has he?"

Ashley rolled her eyes with a light laugh. "You could say he's pretty quiet. Like another demon I know."

"He'll never admit it, but I think we're similar that way." Ashley wasn't sure what that meant at all, but Mako continued, "An Oblivion…" he began and trailed off, the melody stilling beneath his fingers. Ashley picked it up immediately.

Even after a handful of minutes, he never continued. "You don't have to-"

"No," he answered quickly. "You should know. Oblivions, like me, can destroy with a touch. We can create explosions using our demonic energy, that vary in intensity depending on the class of the demon."

Ashley tried not to let her playing falter. "Class?"

"Classes assign demons based on power level. E is the lowest. Likely can barely create a spark. D is next, and then C, B, A, and S, which is the strongest, but there are different levels within an S-class, too. For example, if an Oblivion is an S-class, even a low S-class, they can level a city with barely any effort. Your boyfriend is an S-class."

If that news was supposed to shock her, it didn't. Mostly because even though Mako said that S was the strongest, she had nothing to base that class on, especially since she knew that Hiei wasn't an Oblivion. What did being an S-class mean for him? Maybe Hiei would tell her one day. At this rate, however, it would be more likely that she would have to pull it out of him.

"And what are you?"

"I'm a B class. If I wanted to, I could turn an entire mountain into nothing but rubble." His expression became solemn. Quietly he added, "B classes aren't generally allowed in human world, especially Oblivions, for obvious reasons."

"But you choose to create music instead," Ashley said immediately, trying to pull his mood back.

A small smile cracked his mask. "Yes."

"Why don't you and Hiei like each other?" She wasn't sure how much time she had before Mako closed up completely - even now, minutes later from his earlier falter, he still didn't take the piano melody from her.

"You heard some of it last night," Mako replied, lost in something in his mind; his eyes unfocused. "Oblivions are mostly known for having their loyalty being bought."

"You're not like that," Ashley said immediately. Oblivion or not, this was her student next to her. Maybe he could even be a friend, too. "Your loyalty is visible."

He scoffed, but stayed silent for a moment. "Don't speak on something you have no knowledge of," he finally muttered.

* * *

The phone rang five times, and nearly cut to Hiei's usual clipped " _Kurama, why do I have to set this up again?_ " voice mail message before it stopped ringing altogether, and a harried voice called to her through the receiver, "Ashley?"

"Yukina." Ashley stated, dumbfounded. Yukina's delicate voice was not the one that she expected to hear through the line. In fact, she hadn't even been expecting to hear Hiei's. He'd so far ignored her two calls and three texts. She wasn't trying to be annoying, but if history served, he was trying to disappear on her again, and like hell if that was going to happen. "Hi."

"You're looking for Hiei?" It shouldn't have been a question, really. It was his phone. Ashley could almost hear her sad smile through the receiver. "He left a few days ago; to go back to Demon World about something."

At this point, even though Yukina's words rocked through her, causing a fresh surge of pain, it was nothing new. After the first phone call that went to voice mail, Ashley had hung up the phone fighting back tears and trying not to think about the night before and the brief moment of passion they had tried to share in the alley. His hands roving over her body, the kiss that send chills straight to her belly, lighting her on fire. But after every text ignored and every call that she had to leave a voice mail for, the pain hit fresh.

Maybe she should just move on at this point, but even so, a stubborn little voice in the back of her mind wouldn't let her.

She knew she was falling for him. Hard. And she thought he liked her alright, too. She just needed to talk to him. If only he would answer his damned phone.

"He… didn't tell me," Ashley admitted, trying to hold back tears that threatened to clog her throat. Stupid emotions getting in the way of what she needed to do. She knew she was being ridiculous, but at the same time, Ashley couldn't deny what she felt, and the pain that slipped through her every time he tried to disappear. This needed to stop. One way or another.

"When I first got here," Ashley said, trying desperately to keep her voice steady. As she kept talking she found her strength. "You had mentioned that every once in a while you and everyone have a dinner to catch up. When's the next dinner?"

* * *

With Ashley's question, Yukina and Kuwabara had arranged another dinner for that Saturday, in hopes that it might pull Hiei from Demon World for her to catch him. Thus, Ashley was at Yukimura Ramen at six forty five, pacing in the corner as she tried to convince herself she was making the right decision.

Hiei wouldn't have any reason to suspect she was there. She'd stopped trying to contact him after talking with Yukina. Now all he had to do was walk through that…

 _Door_.

It squeaked open on old hinges, and he took in the restaurant quickly, his eyes falling lastly on Ashley in the corner, whose heart stopped beating as he saw her.

It nearly shattered as his face contorted in anger, snapping, "Detective, this is none of your business!" at Yusuke, then raced as he left the building again.

"Hiei-"

She had to catch him. Leaving Yukina behind, she raced out the restaurant after him, nearly running into new patrons on her way out, but he hadn't blurred away as he usually did. He'd kept walking, and as Ashley apologized to the patrons, she realized he _couldn't_ blur away; other people were around.

The conversation she'd had with Mako came back to her immediately.

"Hiei!"

She knew he heard her. His hearing was too good for him not to hear her. And from the way he slowed, his hands shoved into his pockets, staring up at the sky, painted in reds and purples and oranges as the sun set behind the neighborhood, he wanted her to catch him.

Still, once she reached him she grabbed his arm, and turned him to face her, desperate for him not to disappear on her again.

His crimson gaze fell to hers, and, breathless, she whispered, "Please talk to me."

"What do you want me to say?" His words cut through the silence between them. Since before the typhoon she hadn't felt so distant from him. They stood mere feet apart, but it felt as if a world stretched between them. He took her by the forearm, the touch warm with his heat, and steered her off to the side of the sidewalk, near some landscaping, and away from any prying eyes or ears. "That I was purposefully ignoring you? Hoping you'd take the hint? Obviously I left the bar too high."

 _That_ hurt. Ashley forced herself to take a shuddering breath to calm her emotions. Almost everything in her wanted to walk away from his biting remarks. But she instead stayed rooted in place. "Please, Hiei; don't lash out at me. I just want to talk to you. What's wrong? Why did you leave so suddenly?"

His hands were shoved in his pockets as usual, closed off, unapproachable, but Ashley didn't move.

Hiei pulled his right hand from his pocket and raked his fingers through his hair. He didn't return the hand to his pocket, but left it balled up at his side. Finally, he said, "This isn't your world," he ground out. "It's too dangerous."

That was it? "So?"

"So?" His tone was sharp with her again. "Ashley, you should never have been dragged into this to begin with. I was stupid to think everything would be normal."

He didn't look at her. In fact, he looked across the street to something that kept his gaze even as he acquired a far-off look, lost in whatever he was thinking about. Ashley forced herself not to cross her arms as she so wanted to do. They both needed to remain open. Instead, her fingers picked at the skin around her left thumb. Anything to take away the nervous energy.

"Look," she began. "I like you. A lot." Hiei's gaze slipped down to her, and immediately she felt a blush bloom across her cheeks. "Alright, a lot a lot, and I think you like me, too? I was talking with Mako and -" Immediately he rolled his eyes, grumbling, and started to step away, but Ashley closed the distance between them immediately, reaching out and grasping his forearm gently. "Hey, he's got some good viewpoints, okay? Ones I hadn't even thought about. But… I realized I was treating our relationship like something that's normal, not thinking about what dating a human might be like for you. Or what going through this crazy, messed-up world might be like for you, and I'm sorry. I should have seen it from your point of view earlier, but now your worries and problems have become mine, and even so, I want to give us a chance, if you do?"

The words had tumbled out on their own volition, and Hiei let lose a sigh, like a breath he'd been afraid to release. Ashley could see the gears and cogs turning in his mind. As he thought over everything. "What if I'm not there to protect you and they come? What if you're walking home from work and Dion shows up like she did the other night?"

"Well, honestly, I'm sick of you protecting me," came Ashley's quick reply. "I don't _want_ you to be chained to me like some dog, and I've never been a very good damsel. Maybe I don't have powers and can't defend myself against the Legion like you can, but I can learn things to protect myself in case they do come calling. Oliver did teach me how to dish out a right hook when I was younger. And there's pepper spray. Is pepper spray effective?"

Her light suggestion earned a chuckle from the fire demon, but he didn't say anything. He barely even looked at her. His gaze stayed focused across the street. The nerves and anxiety played chase in her stomach, but she tried not to let her true emotions show. The sun had slipped behind the buildings around them, casting them in a darkness that barely held any light. She could still see Hiei, thinking in the way that he was, and wondered if she should let go of his forearm. "What are you thinking?"

Never in the months that she had known him had she ever known Hiei to tell her what was on his mind. It was a very human question, and she didn't expect an answer.

People passed by where they stood, oblivious to the discussion that was taking place. Oblivious to the relationship-changing conversation that was taking place.

He paused for a long time, just watching the sunset as it grew dark around them. Ashley tried not to fidget, or change the subject as she wanted to do. She wanted to tell him everything: every worry, every fear, and make him stay with her, but it had to be his decision, too.

Twilight was long passed when he finally answered, still not looking at her. And he spoke quietly. She wanted him to speak louder, but didn't dare interrupt him. She strained her ears to catch his words. "Back home, when I was growing up… I didn't have a childhood like anything that humans have."

He paused again, and as it had been with Mako, she recognized him skirting around details and figuring out which parts he wanted to leave out. But even as he left out pieces, it was heart-achingly honest, that much was obvious. "I used to seek out other demons… because I wanted to test my strength. And I wanted to kill them."

A chill rose through her, but she didn't move. "Not _them_ , specifically, but killing gave me purpose and… satisfaction. If I could make it through one more battle, I would be stronger for it."

A part of her wondered idly if he could just watch the clouds of creamer in his coffee in the mornings to give him satisfaction, but she didn't dare speak it. Maybe later down the line when they had had many more honest conversations about themselves.

"I'm not right for you. You deserve someone good, like you."

 _Good_. She picked out that word like it was a high-beam. He didn't think he was good enough. That, more than anything, broke her goddamn heart.

Fighting tears, she replied, trying her hardest to keep her voice steady. "I think you're very good." Her voice nearly broke on the word 'good.'

He started to open his mouth to argue, but she didn't let him continue. "You're kind - in your own way," she began with a soft smile. "You're loyal, and protective, and smart - so intelligent. You care, even if you don't show it the way most people do," she could tell her words were making him uncomfortable, but he needed to hear them. "You strive to be a better version of yourself, and you're a great friend. You have integrity, and confidence, and dependability, and honor, and passion," she blushed, knowing full-well he could still see her even in the low light. His face, she could see, but it was but a whisper in the darkness. The street lights had come on, but their meager light did little to illuminate the spot at which they stood.

Ashley realized she was rambling and looked away, a sad smile playing at the edges of her lips. "I can't believe you don't see that in yourself. Please tell me you don't believe that."

He skirted her question. Gruffly, he replied, "I can't give you a calm, normal human life. You know that, right? Even if we can figure all the rest out." It was obvious he was trying to deflect, and she let him. If he needed a reminder of how good he was later, she would tell him again. And again. And again, as many times as he needed it.

"What if I don't want normal?" she asked. "And as far as you killing others when you were younger, is that something you still do?" As much as the question was awkward, she needed to know.

His teeth clenched. "No," he replied. "Things have changed immensely since that period of my life. But I don't regret it."

That was a heavy revelation, but in the same breath, it was like a cool drink of water. "Do you still kill?"

He watched her intently. "Only when I need to," he said, as if he was a cat waiting to see if it needed to flee.

Ashley nodded, content. For now, that was enough. A part of her felt like a crazy person, but at this moment, she was okay with what he'd told her. "I'm still game for _us_ if you are."

He was incredulous. "I just told you I used to kill people for sport."

She nodded, lips pressed into a thin line. Yeah, when he said it like that if sounded like she'd lost her damn mind. "You also said that you have changed," she replied, standing up for her decision. "And you only kill if you need to. I don't understand Demon World yet, or who you were then, but I think I understand who you are now. And I'm willing to give it a shot."

His brow creased, as he tried to understand, but as she spoke, it eased. Hiei shifted, but didn't move away from her touch. She still had her hand wrapped around his forearm.

"If we try this, can we keep the PDA to a minimum?" He asked, his words almost muttered in embarrassment.

Immediately, Ashley let go of his arm, understanding where he was coming from. Although, she missed his innate warmth immediately even though the air around them was hot and humid, even with the sun having set. Summer was in full-swing, but she still longed for Hiei's steady warmth next to her. "I can do that. If I cross a line or forget, will you tell me?"

He nodded, watching her with a careful gaze, and stayed silent for a long while before finally beginning, "I'm just wondering… If this all hadn't happened, and if I hadn't adopted this protector role around you, would you still be feeling this way about me? I don't want to trap you in something you have no choice in." His words had grown softer, almost fonder, if Ashley had to pinpoint an emotion.

"You know, I have thought about that: if I only feel this way for you because of our close proximity. But then there's the question of if that is how all relationships develop? You're interested enough in a person that you want to spend time with them, and then if the cards fall right, you fall for _them_. Like I'm falling for you," she murmured, glancing away briefly, unable to reciprocate his gaze when she just admitted something so personal. "Our beginning may have been unconventional, but I think we can make this work. I'd like to at least try," this was the fourth time she'd said those words. She prayed he would say yes. "What do you want to do?"

 _ **\- End of Chapter Nineteen -**_

* * *

 **I'm excited about a couple of things regarding this chapter. First, I got to have Ashley actually play _Zenith_ , which is her main character theme for part one. And second, we're finally getting to see more of Mako, who is a major player in this story!**

 **Thank you so much for your patience as I worked to get this chapter out and took so long of a hiatus between February and March. Originally, I was going to have it out yesterday but things happened and that didn't work. Plus, I heard FFnet was down anyway. I wish I could say I won't put this story on another posting hiatus any time soon, but I'll be participating in Camp NaNoWriMo during the month of April and the month of July, during which I'll take a posting hiatus. There's another story I'll be writing and posting during April and May, " _The Devil of the Terasu Forest_ " for a character that will show up in later chapters here. Her name is Hana Hitomi, who I like a lot. If you're interested, definitely check that out!**

 **But, I know you're interested, so here's the posting schedule for the next few weeks:**

 **Chapter 20: Saturday, March 31**  
 _ **Hiatus, month of April**_  
 **Chapter 21: Saturday, May 5**  
 **Chapter 22: Saturday, May 19**  
 **Chapter 23: Saturday, June 2**  
 **Chapter 24: Saturday, June 16**  
 **Chapter 25: Saturday, June 30**  
 _ **Hiatus, month of July**_

 **The next several month's schedule will be posted on my profile, including the dates for after the July Camp NaNo. If you want to join my cabin with Camp Nano, let me know!**

 **Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone who reviewed Chapter 18: _WistfulSin_ , _Ruler of the elements_ , _lisaisfire619_ , _GinaLiz_ , and one Guest. _Ruler of the elements_ , I'm sorry I wasn't able to get the chapter out on your birthday, but I hope you had a wonderful one, regardless. Happy Birthday!**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot. I also do not own Zenith, by Dirk Maassen**


	20. Cobalt Nights

Chapter Twenty

 _Cobalt Nights_

The pyramids were burning in the distance, the sky turned red and black, the smoke clogging their lungs as they slipped between buildings toward their target. Ashley gripped the sword tighter in her fist and shifted her shield. The enemy was out there, but somehow they'd managed to evade everyone so far. Perhaps they were fleeing from the apocalypse that raged around them.

"We need to split up," Oliver said from her right, as they paused behind a building to take in the terrain that lay before them. It was an uphill battle from there, that was for sure.

"Not a chance," Sophia said, having set down her weapons and was re-wrapping her arm. When had she been injured?

She had always been injured, Ashley realized. "Yeah," she chimed in. "If we split up we're done for."

Oliver was shaking his head. A missile flew over their heads, the scream of it ending abruptly as it found it's mark and shook the ground. Dust and ash flew outward, and Oliver was immediately on top of Ashley, covering her from the debris.

"No, if we split up, we can cover more ground," Oliver replied, slowly getting off of Ashley and helping her up. It made sense, but it wasn't something she wanted to do.

Behind her, the _click_ of a gun's safety was disengaged.

When were guns in this world?

Guns had always been in this world.

Ashley turned to face her enemy -

* * *

Immediately Ashley was awake, jolted out of her sleep and leaving her gasping.

What had woken her?

Staying very still, she had her answer in just a few seconds; the water on the shower in her bathroom immediately started running, the spray from the showerhead echoeing off her bathroom walls.

"Hiei?"

He'd been out on a mission since dinner on Saturday. She hadn't asked any details, and he'd only said that he needed to take care of something that had come up.

Knowing a burglar, much less Dion, wouldn't immediately go for her shower, it had to be him. Relief flooded her, quietening her beating heart, and she laid back down, groping for her phone next to her. Trying the shield the light from her eyes the best she could - because who actually thought that the dimmest setting of the back light was actually dim? - she snuck a glance at the time: 3:06 am.

Of course it was past three in the morning. At least she still had over four hours to sleep before she had to wake again, which felt like a small blessing. Heaving a sigh, Ashley locked her phone and turned over, snuggling the blanket close under her chin.

However, she couldn't shut her eyes.

Her gaze had landed on a black stain on her floor. That hadn't been there when she'd gone to bed.

Pulling herself from the futon, and trying not to jostle Knox, she crossed the room to the stain. Even so close, she couldn't figure out what it was. Grabbing her phone and switching on the flashlight, however, she recognized the liquid puddle of red immediately.

She stopped breathing, and glanced toward the bathroom. A small trail of blood led from her patio doors to the bathroom, the light inside slipping between a crack.

Following the trail, Ashley hesitated before the door, not sure if she should knock or wait until he came out, but she wanted to make sure.

Before she lost her determination, Ashley slid the door open.

"I was hoping I wouldn't wake you."

Blood streamed down his body in little rivers, creating swirling whirlpools at his feet. The purple blooms of a bruise had started forming across his ribs beneath his left arm. Cuts and scrapes covered his body, the flesh torn and mangled in places, and a new scar just below the bruising had appeared, pink and puckered.

Ashley approached him, taking in his body, mouth slightly agape. The water still hit him, the steam filling the bathroom, and the water's spray lightly coating her own body.

Her hands hovered over him, not sure where she might touch him that wouldn't inadvertently hurt him.

"It's mostly their blood, not mine."

"But you're still injured," the words ghosted from her lips as she finally pulled her gaze up to meet his.

"Yukina was able to heal the worst of it. All that's left are flesh wounds." What had happened to him? She didn't pause to think about what he meant by Yukina healing him.

"I'll be okay, I promise," he reassured her, shutting off the water. Only a few areas bled openly now: a gash across his right shoulder and leg, and some scrapes on his hands and arms. It wasn't too overwhelming, but still, to see him come back in this condition was alarming. "Let me get dressed."

He tried to keep his tone light, but even as he stepped out of the shower, Ashley could see the pain he tried to ignore in his step.

"I'll get the first aid."

Before he had a chance to argue, because she knew he would, Ashley left him in the bathroom, the door _clicking_ shut behind her.

Her mind was in a fog. Even after she shut the door behind her, she remained outside the bathroom, trying to remember exactly where she put the first aid kit. It wasn't like they needed it very often. Yes, Hiei sometimes came back from his missions a little banged up, but blood was never part of it.

It took her a good minute to remember she'd placed the first aid kit in the upper part of her closet after they'd brought Mako home over a week ago. Flipping the switch for the light in her small flat, she was able to find the kit easily, and Hiei stepped out of the bathroom only moments later, shirtless, and had a bit of toilet paper sticking to his arm where he was still bleeding.

"You're being ridiculous," he muttered, exasperated. The kit suddenly felt heavy in her hands. Was she overreacting? Shame swelled in her chest. "I'm fine, really. I'll heal naturally in a few days. You shouldn't worry yourself."

But even though this was Hiei, and he pushed everyone away, she still felt the uncontrollable desire to help him.

She steadied herself, forcing herself to look up and hold her head high. "Please, Hiei, just let me care for you," Ashley said softly. "Even if this is all I can do, I want to help you."

"Why?" Came his curt reply.

He was just brushing her off, like nothing. Was she really nothing to him?

Anger and frustration replaced the shame almost immediately. "Because I _care_ for you, you _cockwomble_. And maybe you _will_ heal ridiculously fast, but I want to help you because when you hurt I hurt."

Tears sprung to her eyes immediately, which she only cursed away in English. Stupid tear ducts being connected to her anger.

By the time she had gotten her emotions under control, Hiei's face had relaxed, watching her with an emotion in his eyes that she couldn't name. It was something she'd never seen him express before, but before she could possibly try to figure it out, the expression was gone again, replaced by his cool mask that he wore when he didn't want her to know what was going on in his head.

"Fine," he said, sighing. "If it makes you feel better," and he crossed the room to to _kotatsu_ , sitting.

"It does." She muttered, shocked into stillness for a split second before quickly remembering that he might change his mind at any moment and grabbing the opportunity before it could slip away. Without preamble, Ashley joined him at the _kotatsu_ , zipping open the kit and taking out the hydrogen peroxide, cotton balls, antibiotic ointment, and bandages.

Ashley worked quietly, focusing on stemming the flow of blood where it was heaviest, and while that slowed, worked on cleaning his other wounds.

After several minutes of silence between them, Ashley finally leaned back, taking him in. At least the blood had stopped flowing so freely.

Usually seeing him shirtless would have sent a little trill through her, warming her belly and setting her blood on fire, but this time she just couldn't help but hurt with him. He had been watching her the entire time with those scarlet eyes of his, never leaving the top of her head as she worked.

"Can you tell me what you're really doing?" Hiei sucked in a sharp breath, looking away back towards the patio doors. "Hiei, I know this has nothing to do with your mediation… thing. If it did we'd obviously be in World War Three right now if how you came back says anything."

He wouldn't look at her. A muscle in his jaw worked in frustration, and he wouldn't relax, every tendon tense. His fists were balled on top of the _kotatsu_.

Realizing he wasn't going to say anything, Ashley finally placed her hand over his fist, and worked at opening his hand. That caught his attention. "I need you to relax if I'm going to work." She said, not glancing up as she leaned back over her work. Her fingers traced the shape of the black dragon that curled around his forearm. If she didn't know better, the tattoo looked more defined than it did two days ago when they last saw each other. It was like details had been added to the dragon's body that had not been there before. The smoke around it was still there, of course, but it was like some of it had been removed.

Trying to force her thoughts onto anything else, she got back to work, applying the ointment and wrapping the bandage around his arm, which effectively covered the dragon from view.

She quickly finished the major gashes and moved onto the smaller scrapes and mangled areas.

"It's the Legion," Hiei finally admitted, still staring out the window, the muscle in his jaw still working. "They appeared in Mexico, and I was… dispatched."

"In Mexico?" Ashley mused, sitting back and finding herself staring at where his dragon tattoo should be beneath his fresh bandage. "How on earth did you get all the way there and back in two days?"

Another muscle started ticking in his jaw. At this point, Ashley was concerned for Hiei's stress levels. Her hand laid on his arm, snapping his attention back to her. "Hey, if you don't want to say…"

"I do," he replied quickly, his rough voice reassuring. "I do, but…" and he hesitated, as if he wasn't sure how, exactly, to phrase what he wanted to say. "They're not my secrets to tell."

Her conversation with Mako appeared back in her mind. "It's alright; I understand." Ashley offered a small smile.

"I don't-" Hiei began, tense again, his eyes blazing like coals beneath the midnight light. "I don't want you to feel like I'm keeping things from you. I just need a little more time."

This man sitting in front of her, who two months ago could barely hold a conversation with her, now suddenly saying he didn't want to keep secrets? She could never have imagined this from him back then, which was the only reason why she replied with, "You have time; I hope you know that. I don't need to know anything that I shouldn't."

And truly, she didn't want to know, especially if it might put her in a difficult situation like she'd found herself in with the Legion. And if it compromised Hiei's friends or what he was doing in any way, she didn't _need_ to know anything.

Finishing up, she put her materials back in the first aid kit and stood, crossing the room to her closet where she put the kit back and took the usual white long sleeved shirt that Hiei wore from it's hanger.

"Catch!" She called over to him and tossed him the shirt. As he put it on, careful of his ribs and the newly-applied bandages, Ashley found herself watching him. Carefully, she reached for her phone next to the futon and swiped up for the camera.

"Hey, Hiei," she said softly, catching his attention and making him look over his shoulder at her. A question lit his gaze, his brows quirked up in question. She snapped the photo with a smirk as Hiei realized what she'd just done.

"I realized I didn't have any photos of you," she answered the unspoken question, locking her phone and pocketing it. Hiei's expression lowered into a glare.

"So you chose to take the photo when I'm injured? That's reassuring." He pulled himself to his feet and cornered her against her bookcase, her lower back pressing uncomfortably into the shelf. "Maybe I ought to just," he snuck his hands around her and tried to grab at the phone in her hands behind her back, "delete it-"

Ashley twisted away from him with a laugh, and tossed the phone behind him so that it thudded quietly against the far wall. He tried to pull away from her, but she was too quick, hands snaking out and wrapping themselves around his back, pulling him close.

He struggled for only a moment before relaxing, and wrapped his arms around her, too. His scent filled her mind: lightly smoky, like the comfort of an autumn campfire, but clean from his shower, and with a slight tang from the citrus shampoo she had.

 _I love you_ , almost slipped past her lips before she was able to halt the words in their tracks. _That_ wasn't a confession she was ready to make, and one that she was sure Hiei wouldn't reciprocate. Sure, they'd gotten close, and he was trying to be more open with her, and they were having sex regularly, but none of that called for an _I love you_. They were two people who found themselves attracted to one another. Why tell him when it would likely only complicate things? He'd never been good at expressing feelings and emotions anyway, and she definitely didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

No, she could keep that to herself for now.

Instead, she whispered into his ear, "I'm glad you're okay."

With a quick squeeze, he released her. "Let's get some sleep."

* * *

On Sunday, when Hiei had originally left, Ashley had taken to the streets, one destination at the forefront of her mind. Thankfully, the music shop was relatively easy to find. A bus ride, and a twenty minute hike later and she was at the storefront, slipping in through the door.

 _Natsu_ _'s Notes_ was a quaint little instrument shop, that sold everything from violins to guitars, to trumpets, to grand pianos. Even traditional Japanese instruments were sold. The store didn't have a grand location, and there was no sign out front; people knew of it only through word of mouth, apparently.

"Hi Mako!" Ashley called out to the violet-haired demon who stood hunched over the counter reading a textbook. Golden eyes immediately snapped up, a small smile spreading.

"You made it," he greeted her, straightening up.

"Of course I did. You say you have a keyboard, right?"

"Oh, I see. That's the only reason to come visit me, right? You don't _actually_ prefer my company." His voice was serious, but his eyes were lit in mirth.

"Oh, shush," Ashley made to push him as he came around the counter, but he side-stepped deftly. Mock-irritation fueled the bark of frustration that escaped her, making Mako laugh.

Mako found the keyboard he'd told her about after class a week prior, placing his hand on it. "Here she is," he said, glancing back over his shoulder at her.

"And you said it's only thirty two thousand yen?" Ashley asked; Mako nodded.

"It's been here so long, Natsu keeps dropping the price. Don't know why she keeps getting looked over, but she does, even though she plays like a dream."

After a few minutes playing it, going through the buttons and different settings, Ashley finally gave her money for it. Really, she wasn't as knowledgeable about keyboards as she was with an actual piano, but seeing as how purchasing an actual piano was a far-fetched dream at this point, especially with her teaching job ending in less than a year, and she could simply ship the keyboard back to herself in England at the end of the year, this was the best idea.

She'd found herself playing it while Hiei was on his mission, going through her old sheet music that she asked her Mum to fax to her while on campus. At times, Knox would howl along with her music, his ears new to the sound, which would end in a laughing fit on Ashley's part.

The morning after Hiei's return, the Tuesday before she left on her traveling adventures for summer break, Ashley had put the keyboard away in favor of getting her grading out of the way. She'd planned the summer break with trips and sight-seeing adventures, and needed to get her responsibilities taken care of before that started and she inevitably lost track of time.

By mid-afternoon she sipped on some tea at the _kotatsu,_ the tv was turned on to the news, while Hiei sat against the wall by the patio doors as a thunderstorm raged beyond them, sharpening his sword on a whetstone. Knox sat near him, watching him move his blade against it. The smooth, almost rhythmic sound of it was soothing as she worked, and had chosen to leave her earbuds out in favor of listening to that. The sound was just so… _Hiei_.

Even with the sound and the thunder outside, it was just a quiet afternoon.

Lightning flashed outside, the thunderous boom not even seconds behind. The images on the tv caught Ashley's attention and she turned up the volume just in time to see the local news reporter cut to clips that an international station had recorded. Something that looked like an explosion had leveled a corporate area, rubble spread about.

"…And here, if you'll note, is where the event occurred," the woman was speaking in English, and kanji were displayed on the lower part of the screen for Japanese who could not understand English. "Now, authorities are calling it a gas leak that caused the damage, but really, the Shono Legion is taking the credit for this one. The best we can figure is that their target was to damage the energy grid, which would effectively shut down the city until officials could fix the issue, which, if the grid was destroyed completely, might take months. Thankfully, some of the peace liaisons were able to step in and stop this attack -"

Glancing over at Hiei, Ashley noticed that he'd also stopped his activity, Ashley's attention on the tv catching his own.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" Ashley asked him, the comment off-hand as she cocked a brow, a small smile playing on her lips.

Hiei caught the expression as a smile tried not to worm its way into his expression as well as he looked away. "Not at all." Lightning cracked again.

"Hm-hm," Ashley replied, not impressed. If the destruction that they showed on the tv was anything to go by, it was no wonder that Hiei had returned to the flat as beaten up as he was. "You don't have to go out anywhere today, right? You can stay in?"

Hiei glanced outside and the apocalypse that raged beyond the glass. Kurama's plants were holding up well, but for how long, that was to be determined.

"Not in that," he replied, shaking his head. He focused back on the sharpening of his blade without fanfare. That was good. At least she had him for the rest of the day. Once she left tomorrow it would be a good three weeks before she saw him again.

She was about to turn her attention back to the essays that her students had composed when her phone chimed. Sophia's message only contained a single photo. It was a photo of the writing on the wall that the ghosts were somehow managing to create. Letters had been added since she had last gotten a photo of it.

" _Weve been h-_ " That was all it said. The cursive letters were carved into the wood of one of the walls; a wall that looked to be in the family room, or very near to it; it'd been years since Ashley had actually stepped foot inside the House. It it was definitely in an area downstairs, and a conspicuous location. One could not miss it, even if they weren't looking for it.

"What's that?" Hiei asked absently, not looking up. Ashley merely glanced at him as he spoke.

" _That_ ," she said, getting up, "Is my phone about to die." Her phone really was, so she crossed the room to plug in her phone. She highly doubted Hiei would be interested in ghosts supposedly making carvings in a wall. She, herself, was only interested because Isla had brought up up to her all those weeks ago. "Sophia just sent me a photo, is all," she replied instead as she plugged in her phone, lightning cracking loud and close.

Multiple gunshots went off in succession. The light above flickered and died.

Hands were around her wrists in an instant. "Ashley!" They tugged, pulling her hands away from her ears. _Had she covered them?_ Hiei's face was inches from her own, brows knit together. Somewhere, Knox barked with fervor.

"Ashley!" He yelled again, forcing her to meet his gaze. "What happened?"

She stuttered. "I-I-I-" Slowly, the world behind Hiei's face came into focus. Scorch marks ascended the wall and crossed the ceiling to reach the light fixture, which no longer existed. Shards of glass covered the room. "What - _What_ _happened_?"

Hiei huffed a breath and tried to contain the clear annoyance in his voice. He tried, and failed. "That's what I'm asking you!"

"I-I plugged in my phone…" Ashley turned to the phone and charger that was still connected to the wall. Or, at least, she turned to where the charger had been. The bright green cable had been reduced to a charred plastic goo that was slowly melting from the wires. Ashley sucked in a shaky breath, leaning closer to where Hiei knelt next to her. Her phone smoked next to her, it's screen effectively shattered.

The light above them had gone out, as she'd noticed before, the glass scattered like it had exploded. The room had been plunged into darkness; even the tv had shut off, although, it seemed to still be intact. Lightning streaked across the window outside.

Knox was still barking.

"Will you please quiet that insufferable creature?" Hiei seethed next to her under his breath, only to take Ashley's shoulders in his hands and turn away from the dog. "What happened? Are you injured?"

Ashley, however, couldn't seem to form coherent words. "Ashley." Hiei placed himself in front of Ashley, where she was looking around the room at the destruction. He touched the side of her face gently, drawing her gaze. "What happened?" He tried again, trying to school his tone into something gentler.

"I just tried to plug my phone in. You have to believe me. I didn't mean for this -"

She was shaking like a leaf. Hiei pulled her close to him, careful to still block her view from what had happened. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course I believe you."

She clung to him, for a moment, willing herself to calm down. Her heart raced in a gallop, left-over adrenaline making her hands shake. Tears were nowhere nearby, even though she felt a pressure inside her chest swelling like she wanted to.

Lightning cracked again, setting her blood on fire.

Hiei, for all his heroics, did not let Ashley cling to him for too long. Maybe a minute, and then he was pulling away, still taking up her view of the apartment. "Do you remember what happened?"

Ashley nodded, her eyes wild. "I was plug-plugging in my phone, and the lightning flashed outside. The next thing I know," she forced herself to take a breath, her voice shaking. "The next thing I know, you're next to me and I'm on the ground." Confusion settled in her mind. "Hiei, what in the world was that? Was that me?" She whispered the words, as if afraid to hear their truth.

A muscle twitched in his jaw, his expression, for once, unreadable, even to her.

Knox was still barking. "Will you please…!" Hiei's voice raised in frustration before he paused and tried again. "Will you _please_ get him to be quiet? I can barely hear myself think."

"Knox," Ashley called to him even though she couldn't see the dog. "Knox, it's okay; I'm fine."

Immediately he crossed the room and crawled into Ashley's lap, nudging her hand for pets.

Finally, the room fell quiet. The only sound left was the pouring rain outside the patio door. "What did you feel before it happened? Anything?"

"No."

"Nothing out of the ordinary?"

"Like being sick?" His insistence was worrisome. "No. I felt the same as I've always felt." He paused, silent. "Hiei, what are you thinking?"

What little she could read his expression in that moment, it terrified her. Looking around the room, it was like he was trying to figure out a puzzle.

She reached for his right hand, which still gripped her shoulder. With a light squeeze, she got his attention. "What? What is it? What are you thinking?"

He finally spoke. "Do you have any sort of connections spiritually? Ever died and come back to life? Ever have any sort of supernatural experiences?"

"Not really no. I mean, the House can't count, can it?"

That got his attention. "What goes on at the House?"

"I've told you about it before," she replied, indignant that he would forget. Surely she'd told him three times already.

His reply came quick. "Enlighten me again."

"It's an old house on my mother's side," she explained, trying to keep the attitude from her words. "We care for it because some of the ghosts of my family still reside there. But Hiei, I don't understand-"

"And have you ever noticed yourself have any sort of inclination towards anything in particular?"

Several beats passed. Lightning flashed menacingly behind him, the thunder following a few beats later. The storm was moving on. "You're not making sense."

" _Have you?_ "

He was insistent, as if this was the most important detail in the world. "Hiei. What on earth are you talking about?"

He huffed a sigh, resigning himself to whatever was going on in his head. "I've noticed it starting for a while now, but I didn't think anything of it. The fox can explain it better than I can. I think you're like the oaf."

Oaf. Ashley forced herself to think back; where else had she heard him call someone by that name? "Kuwabara? But what does he have to do with this? And what do you mean by _fox_?" This conversation had definitely taken a turn for the weird.

A muscle twitched in his jaw again. Frustration fell off his body in waves.

"It's part of what you were asking about last night." Hiei, she could tell, as much as he wanted to explain it to her, was lost for exactly the right words. Why? She wasn't sure, but he was. As much as she wanted to have it all explained to her now, it seemed as if that wouldn't be. "Give me a day or two during this summer break of yours and I'll take you to Genkai's. We'll see if we can't get you an answer."

As much as she wanted to fight it out of him, because she knew he knew something, even if he didn't know how to describe it for her, honestly, Ashley just didn't have the energy. The adrenaline was finally ebbing away, leaving her feeling exhausted and empty.

"Even if you don't have a way to explain it to me now," she began, hoping he would understand without her having to go into too much detail. "Can you at least tell me what it is? At the surface level?"

He clenched his jaw, something warring with himself behind those scarlet eyes of his. "You're showing the signs of having psychic abilities."

 _ **\- End of Chapter Twenty -**_

* * *

 **[EDIT: If you are binge-reading this fic (I love you if you are; I myself am a binge-reader), please please take a break from reading. Just a ten minute break, so not long at all! Stretch your legs, go to the bathroom, get some water and food if you haven't eaten in awhile. We are now at just over 100,000 words, which means you have just read enough story to fill Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, To Kill a Mockingbird, or Wuthering Heights in one sitting. After your ten minute break, come on back and keep reading! If you've gotten this far you must be enjoying things. I hope you continue to enjoy Ashley and Hiei's story.]**

* * *

 **Aaaaaand now we begin a month-long hiatus while I write the next 10 chapters for Camp NaNoWriMo. Don** **'t kill me! Chapter 21 will be posted on May 5. I apologize that 20 was late (again). This weekend has been crazy and weird. Currently trying to fight a stomach bug. At any rate, Happy Easter (if you celebrate it)!**

 **At this point I also have to mention a few things. First, I** **'ve been itching to share her ability manifestation with you all for over seven months. It was one of the first things I knew she would have when this story came to me. I'm so glad I'm finally getting to share it with you! It's HERE.** **I think a few of you might have guessed this was coming for awhile, and some of y'all got _really close_ to guessing what sort of abilities she might have.**

 **Second, I have to also mention my inspiration for On Dating a Demon. Hereafter, whose fic,** **Once We** **'ve Fallen** **, inspired me in a small way: after reading her fic I knew I wanted to write a HieixOC fic of my own. I wanted to create something thought-provoking, too. Then, after I started writing this I had the idea for Ashley** **'s electricity. A few months later I began re-reading the** **Red Queen** **series by Victoria Aveyard, and started seeing the vague similarities with Mare** **'s lightning and knowing what I have planned with Ashley's. Therefore, I have to reference it as inspiration if nothing more than exploring a character who has lightning abilities and their significant other being a character who has fire abilities. After re-reading those books I've also seen a couple of techniques that Mare does that I wanted to incorporate with Ashley, so you'll likely see those nods later, too.**

 **And finally, that dream was actually a dream I had; I just replaced my family, who were originally in it, with Ashley and her siblings.**

 **Thank you to _WistfulSin_ , _Ruler of the Elements_ , and _JohnGreenGirl_ for reviewing on Chapter Nineteen, and to _musicnutftw_ for your review on Chapter Ten! If you like what you read, please review! I always love seeing what you all think. **

**I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	21. Penance and Perspectives

Chapter Twenty-One

 _Penance and Perspectives_

Hiroshima was a place that Isla has wanted to visit since the idea of Ashley teaching in Japan was first brought up.

"Okay, so why Japan?" Isla had asked one unseasonably frigid November morning through the phone receiver. She was already almost eighteen months working with her degree, having graduated the May of the previous year. She'd been working at her dream job up until almost sixty days previously, when she'd announced to Ashley out of nowhere that she was going to start working at _ATARIS_ and learning her mother's company. Technically, it was _LTX_ , a subsidiary that Isla was working at, and she was only a lab assistant, but Isla apparently loved it, and as confused as Ashley was over the sudden change, she was happy for her friend. For Ashley, however, finals loomed on the horizon - the last battle before she could obtain her degree.

Ashley snorted in derision. "Well I have to use those years of Japanese lessons somehow, don't I? I picked up Japanese so easily, I might as well. Especially since I don't…" she trailed off, but Isla knew how to finish the sentence. They'd talked about this exact subject so often. _I don_ _'t know what to do with my life._ Isla let Ashley trail off and waited, automatically knowing her friend was blustering for what was really going through her mind.

Ashley continued, her voice smaller. "I don't know how to explain it. It just feels _right._ "

Now, it was Isla's time to snort. "I thought you didn't believe in fate or destiny or whatever that's called."

Ashley smiled. Isla was never one to beat around the bush. Finally, her friend's laughter died on the other end of the line, and Ashley became aware of the very pregnant pause that grew between them. "If I come visit you, can we go to Hiroshima?"

"I'm sure we could," Ashley replied. Isla was half-American by her dad's side: half Mexican-American, and his family had owned a cattle ranch in the Texas hill country for generations. From what she could remember, Isla's family hadn't had any direct ties to Hiroshima, but at that moment Ashley didn't demand to know why Isla wanted to go to Hiroshima. If she wanted to go they would go. "But you know it'll probably be another year before we get to that point, right?"

Isla hadn't replied, but rather changed the subject.

Now, nine months later, with the bane of summer upon them, Ashley took the bullet train down to Hiroshima, Knox in tow, to meet her best friend of six years to begin the promised road trip through Japan.

The first three weeks Ashley had spent traveling through Japan, Hiei meeting up with her every so often. Yukina and Kuwabara had gladly accepted the role of pet-sitter for Knox while she traveled, and were surprised to find how much they missed his company once he returned to Ashley. _-I'm trying to convince Kazuma we should get a dog!-_ Yukina had texted Ashley a few days later. It had been a good idea to leave him with them, but at the same time, she was glad to have him at her side once again, especially on their newest adventure.

Isla had yet to meet Knox.

"Where's your best friend?" Ashley asked after they embraced with a teasing grin. Isla next bent down and fussed over Knox, accepting corgi kisses and rubbing his wiggling butt.

Of course, Ashley was talking about the little pink-handled knife that Isla carried with her everywhere she went. A birthday present from one of her uncles, Isla had had that thing for as long as Ashley could remember. Of course, Japan had stricter knife laws than England, and Isla would have had to leave it at home. But between that knife and the little gold cross necklace she wore around her neck, seeing Isla without one or both of those items was like seeing a new person. She never left home without both on her person.

Isla rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what Ashley was talking about. Standing, she said, "Right next to me; she's being a smart-arse."

They went and ate dinner at a little cafe where Ashley broached the subject she'd been stressing over for the entire trip down: why she would be checking in with Hiei often, the issue with Dion and the Legion, and what it might mean for their safety. She left the big details out, the stuff that Isla didn't really need to know, and just stuck with the smaller details, figuring it was better to slowly introduce Isla to her new world rather than dump her into it all at once. Isla, however, accepted the explanation with only a few questions of her own.

By then, dinner was finished and they headed to the hotel, worn out and exhausted, but they changed into their pajamas, walked Knox, and then stayed up into the late hours of the night catching up. The middle of March had been the last time they'd seen each other before Ashley had left in April; Isla had had a few trips with work planned and hadn't been able to see Ashley off.

"So is he a _demon_ in bed, too?" Ashley blushed scarlet. Isla crowed. "So he is!"

"To answer your question," Ashley said, swallowing her embarrassment and trying her best to answer the question at hand with an even voice. "He is quite skilled… and blessed." The embarrassment came back fully, until she was as red as a tomato and blushing like a little school girl.

Isla laughed and eventually composed herself enough to cock a brow. "So have you told him yet?"

The sudden change in subjects was overwhelming. "Wait, what?"

"Ashley, it's written all over your face. I haven't seen you this deep since Emmett."

Heat grew in her belly as she thought back to Hiei. "I think I love him," she whispered, and nearly squealed. "I haven't told _anybody_. You can't tell him, Isla, you can't."

She was laughing at Ashley's excitement. "I won't! But Ashley, if you feel that way, _you_ _need_ to tell him." A look of profound sadness crossed her features for barely a split second. Short enough the Ashley wasn't able to determine if what she thought she'd seen on her friend's face was true.

"I know I do, I just… I don't know how to tell him."

Isla smiled, a sad sort of knowing smile. "You'll find the right time. Anyway, is it true that demons have multiple mates?" Ashley nearly choked on her own breath.

"I'm sorry, _what_?"

"Multiple mates. Is that a thing?" Isla repeated nonchalantly and completely seriously. "I know some animal species do it, and I was wondering if demons did it as well."

Thoroughly wondering why Isla was even brining this subject up, and disgusted that she would compare demons to animals, Ashley killed the subject before it had a chance to take off. "It's not a thing at all."

Isla saw her discomfort and took on a wicked grin. "Not even a little bit?" she poked.

"Nope!" Ashley exclaimed.

"Three-somes?"

"Isla!"

The girl in question fell into a fit of giggles as Ashley blushed. She didn't even consider laughing as Isla did; _did_ Hiei want to have multiple partners? Was monogomy really a human thing? She hadn't even _thought_ of that, and what it might mean for Hiei, which only made her flush deeper.

Slowly, Isla quietened, and Ashley calmed down, both thinking in their own worlds. Knox sprawled out between them, already lost in his own dreams, if dogs do dream.

"I need to ask you a serious question," Isla said once the two had grown quiet. Ashley felt the shift in the conversation and sat a little straighter. "Have you started showing any signs of powers? Or abilities? Or things you couldn't do before?" Before Ashley could answer, Isla cut her off, continuing. "I know he's a powerful demon, and sometimes that can bring out abilities in spiritually aware people."

Ashley snorted. Hadn't she heard this from Hiei just a few weeks prior? "You know as well as I do that I'm the least spiritually aware person there is."

Isla's face didn't change and Ashley heaved a sigh. "Yes, I've noticed some changes." While she wanted to show Isla what she could do, she also had to remind herself she couldn't do anything. Yes, she made a light explode, but that was weeks ago and nothing had happened since.

"Be careful, okay? And keep it hidden." Isla said. "Promise me you'll be careful. The Guardians have a reputation of making people with powers, or gifts, or whatever you want to call it… they have a reputation of making those people _disappear_." The Guardians of the Blue: Keep Humanity Human, as their slogan said. Isla was right, of course, as she usually was. The Guardians were not a group to take lightly. They were almost the human equivalents to the Shono Legion. Started several years ago in some middle-of-nowhere town in America. Now, they were usually the ones to take credit for demon-related attacks, just as the Legion often took credit for human-related attacks. "You might not even know someone is a Guardian, Ashley, and the next day you could be gone. That's how silent they are."

Ashley had to poke fun at Isla, then. "What, are you saying _you_ _'re_ a Guardian?" she teased, but Isla remained serious.

"It's scary, you know? Your neighbor, your friend, just starts spouting _humanity first._ It's all nonsense, really. Do you remember that demon that was found up north of here? I sent you the article that had Hiei in it. That was a Guardian-led attack. There's even rumors that they've _infiltrated the governments_. Do you know how to tell if someone's a Guardian?"

"Okay, _now_ you're rambling," Ashley tried laughing it off. Isla could be paranoid at times. Surely this was one of those times. "There's no evidence of that. Anywhere." Right?

"I'm serious. Do you know how to tell if someone's a Guardian?" She repeated the question, all laughing gone.

Ashley sobered. "No."

"Give me your left arm." Ashley stretched it between them and Isla wrapped her fingers around Ashley's wrist, her touch warm. With her other hand she traced a large X over Ashley's exposed forearm. "It's a tattoo: two rapiers crossed in an X. With the phrase _vita in morte_ between them _._ "

"Latin?" Ashley asked, and received a nod from Isla. "What does it mean?"

"Life in death."

A chill ran up Ashley's spine, making her uncomfortable, and she snagged her bottom lip between her teeth. "That's foreboding." Isla nodded, releasing Ashley's arm. The blonde-haired girl took her arm back and rubbed the place where Isla had traced.

* * *

The next morning threatened rain, the air thick and clammy with humidity and heat. A soft wind had already started blowing, promising a storm by mid-afternoon rolling in off the coast.

Even so, the girls packed their luggage to stow in their room and ready for when they had to catch a bus that night, packed a backpack with snacky things, and set out. Knox wasn't allowed for this part of the journey, so they left him in their hotel room.

The hotel was within walking distance of the Hiroshima Peace Park, so they walked there, taking in the sounds and sights of the peaceful city.

The peace park was lush with grass and trees, situated next to one of the rivers flowing through Hiroshima, and even though traffic passed just a stone's throw away, the surreal quiet enveloped the park. It was noisy with people around, yes, but there was an almost hallowed feeling to the park.

Isla had been wanting to come to Hiroshima for almost a year, or at least, that was when Isla had voiced the desire to Ashley. However, upon seeing her approach the atomic bomb dome with it's bare concrete walls, and busted out windows, looking entirely out of place among the city that had grown back around it, she realized that that desire to come probably spanned more than just a year.

Ashley hung back, letting Isla come to terms with what they saw.

There was a peace museum, not far away, and a courtyard with a memorial for the lives that had been lost back on August 6, 1945. The museum was artfully designed and quiet in the way that it honored the souls who were obliterated that day. There were half-decimated belongings of the victims of the bomb: clothes, toys, even an old lunch box, and little bios of some of the victims. Inside, someone had also created a to-scale model of the city and where the bomb went off above the city, and the one mile of destruction that had stretched in every direction from the point of the bomb detonation.

In an instant, the entire city had disappeared and everyone in it.

They had roof tiles that had bubbled from the intense heat. They had a concrete slab that had somehow survived the blast that still had the shadow of where someone was sitting when the bomb went off. Another concrete wall showed off preserved black rain from the soot that had rained down after the blast.

After awhile, it all turned Ashley's stomach, to think that humans could do this to one another, and she had to excuse herself to catch some fresh air outside.

"We're not blameless, you know," Isla said, quietly, having followed her friend out. She was playing with her cross necklace, absentmindedly. "The United Kingdom gave the Americans permission to drop the bombs."

A part of Ashley wanted to joke, " _I didn_ _'t know Americans needed permission to do anything,_ " but it died on her tongue before she could utter the words. Not here. Not today. Instead, she pushed the sarcastic jab aside, and focused back on the total devastation that the museum showed.

"Never again."

* * *

The bus was scheduled to leave the Hiroshima terminal at 19:45. So, of course, Ashley and Isla ran to make it and boarded right at 19:42, the passengers already boarded and seated shooting them disapproving glances as Ashley and Isla huffed and tried not to dissolve into a fit of giggles at their situation.

Thankfully, the bus was mostly empty and they were each able to take a row to fluff a pillow beneath their heads and try to catch some sleep on the three and a half hour bus ride to Nara, their next destination.

If Isla was able to sleep, however, Ashley wasn't aware of it. She certainly had an issue with falling asleep for the first hour of their journey. Even after the bus left the city and the constant jolting motion of slowing down and speeding up at red lights ceased, and the careful speed of the bus reached their maximum, Ashley still could not be lulled to sleep by the engine, thinking instead of all the lives lost.

No one knew for certain how many died that day, seventy five years previously. Officials guessed it was somewhere between ninety thousand and one hundred forty six thousand.

How did a person move on from something like that? How could her own country give permission for such an act?

Betrayal stung at the edges of her heart as her eyes filled and she turned over on her side. Knox, who was in his crate, whined low, and she let her hand dangle off the side of the seats.

When it was taught in school, it was always the Americans dropped the bombs. Nowhere had it mentioned the Quebec Agreement or what that meant for the war.

But in the same breath, Ashley knew that dropping those weapons had been a last-ditch effort to end a war that had engulfed the entire world. End the suffering and the death and destruction and the bloodshed.

But to create more suffering, knowingly?

She slipped into sleep with tears in her eyes, her dreams plagued with fear while she ran from a force she couldn't see.

* * *

The bus pulled into the station near midnight. The sun was hours away from even thinking about casting a light over the horizon when the even motion of the bus dissolved into the deceleration to slower speeds and the slow rolling to a stop and slow acceleration woke her. They were within Nara's city limits, and Ashley reached a hand between the seats to jostle Isla.

"I'm awake," came the reply as Ashley's hand found her friend's shoulder. "Didn't get much sleep, though."

"We'll be at the hotel soon and we can sleep there," Ashley said instead, immediately trying to sooth Isla, who didn't move from her spot across the seats.

* * *

Morning came too early, sunlight washing over the two girls where they slept, and Isla immediately let out a muffled groan of indignation. "We're not going to get much sleep on this journey, are we?" she asked as she hauled herself out of bed.

Ashley was already in the bathroom, running the shower's faucet. "Hey, it was your idea to do this!" She shouted as the water became hot enough and she stepped inside, letting the warm spray engulf her.

"I'm making coffee," Ashley heard Isla mutter beyond the noise of the shower. Really, she heard a muffled version of it, but knowing Isla, she was able to easily decipher the words herself. "Do you want coffee?" she asked louder.

The night before when they had arrived, Ashley had already eyed the selection of hot drinks they had in their room only to realize there were no tea bags. She'd brought her own tea, as any well-standing British person would, but did she really want to make another pot of hot water before they left their room for the day?

"I'll have some coffee, yes!" she called back, hoping she was heard over the spray. Isla muttered some sort of surprised exclamation that Ashley didn't think to pay mind to, her thoughts already back at Hiroshima and the images that had been burned into her mind.

Shame engulfed her there in the shower. Why had she never paid more attention to the events of the war in school? Why had she just written them off? She'd done fairly in secondary school, even if university had been difficult, but still. The lack of empathy that she'd felt up until yesterday was hard to ignore. She'd felt sympathy sure, but how could she ever hope to understand that pain? There was no way, not in this life, that she would ever know, unless North Korea started something to end all wars. And even then, Ashley prayed that day would never come. Did that make her selfish?

"Did you drown in there?" came Isla's unimpressed drawl.

That woke her up. "Sorry! Just a moment!" Ashley replied, quickly lathering her body and finishing up. This trip was meant to be fun for both of them; she couldn't be the one bringing down the mood, especially when Isla was the one who had wanted to go there in the first place. She needed to keep everything light.

No more thoughts about atom bombs or destroyed cities on this trip, she promised herself.

Isla had somehow already finished her cup of coffee by the time Ashley had dried off and dressed. Had she really been in there for that long or was Isla just really tired?

As they passed with a "Shower's yours!" from Ashley, she glanced at Isla. No, Isla just seemed really tired. Maybe Hiroshima had affected her as much as it had affected herself.

But Isla didn't say more than "Your coffee is in the pot; I left some for you," before slipping into the shower herself.

Knox, dancing in a corner, caught Ashley's attention. While Isla got showered and dressed, Ashley walked Knox, drank her own coffee - with cream and sugar since it wasn't tea - and packed up her duffel so that hopefully they wouldn't be quite so late to the train that night.

Isla took her time in the shower, to which Ashley didn't comment, but within the hour, they were on their way.

Thankfully, the Nara shrine was just a short walk away, and the threat of rain that they'd endured yesterday was completely gone, the sun shining brilliantly. Almost immediately they began seeing the deer that Nara was so famous for, with Ashley squealing in her excitement to get Isla's attention. Knox's attention was certainly drawn to the deer, and he hung back behind Ashley's legs as she walked, nervously watching their new companions approach them for food.

One such deer approached them boldly and nipped at the hem of Ashley's shirt as Isla laughed, and even as they walked closer to the shrine and the park, the deer followed them, searching for the food it could obviously smell through the backpack - Knox's lunch for the day.

"We've got to get this guy something! Does he take sacrifices?" Isla asked. Ashley's head immediately shot up.

"No, you are _not_ sacrificing me to this deer!" Ashley spotted a food cart a sort walk away. "Look; we'll buy it some treats and hopefully it'll leave us alone."

"Or, it'll become more attached," Isla pointed out with a laugh. The memories of the images they witnessed at the Hiroshima museum the day before a far-off memory.

Ashley approached the trolley, a short line in front of it, with Isla trailing behind her, trying to run away from the deer that followed her like imprinted ducklings. She got behind the third guy in line, a large, blue-gray skinned demon with two pairs of arms. Really, the amount of demons to humans in this park was a good fifty-fifty, Ashley could tell, just by sight, and tensely wondered what Isla's reaction to them would be. While Isla hadn't said or done anything so far on the trip to make Ashley think that she would, she still found herself tensing, waiting for the reaction.

Most of the demons there were able to pass as human, although some, like the man in front of her, stuck out like a sore thumb. Thankfully, Isla seemed totally engrossed with her own playtime with the deer to notice anyone out of the ordinary. On top of that, her friend didn't have the same background that Ashley had. Besides the few demons who were obvious, it was likely that Isla wouldn't notice the differences in their peers at all.

Ashley turned from Isla's high-pitched squeals of joy to pull out her wallet. Fumbling between the wallet and Knox's leash, who had taken to barking at the deer, and shushing him, Ashley's yen fluttered to the ground.

The demon in front of her, she noticed, saw her yen fluttering to the ground and stooped to pick it up before Ashley made a move. Bowing, Ashley thanked the demon, who also cracked a smile with a bow, and accepted the currency back. Something caught the demon's attention over her head, however, and he frowned, turning back to the merchant without further interaction with Ashley.

Shrugging the moment away, Ashley called over her shoulder. "Isla! How many of these do you want?" It was the four-armed demon's turn in line, and he ordered with the merchant as Isla trotted up to Ashley with deer following close behind. They rocked their heads in anticipatory bows as Isla staggered into Ashley, her center-of-balance knocked askew by the excited deer.

"They're like puppies!" Isla exclaimed with a laugh, using her friend to regain her balance and stand straight again. "Like giant, over sized deer-puppies!"

Ashley replied with a smile, very aware of the merchant finishing up the sale to the demon ahead. "How many do you want?" she asked again.

"How many come in a package? Ten?" Isla read the sign for the deer cookies next to the cart. "I'll take three for now I guess? Is that okay?" Ashley nodded and counted out the subsequent yen from her wallet.

"Hey, can you take Knox? He won't settle down," Ashley asked, trying to juggle the anxious dog and her wallet at the same time as he carved circles of anxiety in the ground around her legs.

"Yeah, give him here," Isla replied, at once taking Knox's leash and pulling him away from Ashley. He whined, but followed anyway. "Oh my god," Isla said breathily, something having caught her attention behind Ashley, who counted out her yen. If she hadn't been standing so close to Ashley, she wouldn't have heard the raven-haired girl above the noise of the park.

"What?" Ashley asked without looking up.

"Hold on just a moment - she has _gorgeous_ hair!" As long as Ashley had known the girl, she had always loved crazy hair colors. Possibly because with the line of work she was in and the conservative school they attended, she'd never been able to dye her own hair or give it under-highlights, or whatever they were called. Or maybe it was just her American side coming out. Ashley had never really been sure, but she let her go and approached the merchant as the demon in front of her lumbered away.

"Five, please," Ashley greeted the woman with a bow and gave her order, vaguely aware of the conversation Isla was holding behind her, and catching an awed, "Your hair is gorgeous!" without first asking if the person spoke English.

"Oh, why thank you," the reply came easily enough, the woman's voice sounding like liquid silver, if liquid silver had a tonal sound. Her accent was perfect, too. Smooth, and without any sort of regional inflections, as she spoke perfect English. "You're very kind. Are you from around here?"

"No. London; I'm here visiting a friend for a few days. Are you?"

The woman in front of Ashley asked for her money as she handed it to her.

"Just passing through, myself. When do you leave?" A sudden yelling sound came from some Russian children as they were yelling and making noises at some of the deer, catching her attention and drowning out what she could hear from Isla's conversation.

The merchant handed Ashley her change, which she put back in her wallet and took the little packages of crackers, turning around and nearly running into Isla.

"That was quick," Ashley said as she juggled the crackers from the deer that had already surrounded them again, and her wallet, and reached for her backpack to deposit the wallet and three sets of the crackers into. "Normally I have to drag you away and apologize to them."

Isla glared in feigned anger. "You do not," she retorted but took the package of crackers from Ashley anyway.

"Okay, maybe that was a slight exaggeration, but really. That was quick. Even for me. Everything okay?" Ashley asked, taking in Isla's closed-off body language: weight on her back foot, hands shoved into her pockets, looking like a pissed-off child.

Isla, very much like a child, started listing, "Pointed ears. Violet eyes. Silver hair. She was definitely a demon."

Ah. So Isla had finally noticed their peers in the area. Still, it wasn't like Ashley to assume. "So? Not everyone with pointed ears and crazy hair or eyes is a demon, Isla. They could be cosplayers. You'd be amazed how many people do that here. Don't assume."

Isla leveled her gaze at Ashley, scrutinizing her, as if she was really seeing her friend for the first time since she had arrived. "Are you the Demon Justice Warrior now? Just because you're dating one of them?" She smirked, trying to find humor in her words, but it didn't touch her eyes. A part of her, and Ashley didn't know how deep that part ran, was completely serious in the accusation. _There_ was her reaction. "You need to be careful around them, Ashley. They only bring trouble."

Ashley bristled. "You don't need to be rude. I was just stating a fact. And leave Hiei out of this, please."

They finally walked away from the merchant's table, off to the side near some benches, five or six deer following them, and Knox sticking close enough to Ashley's feet again that he kept tripping her. "What? I heard you call him this morning. Is he really so over-protective that he won't let you out of his sight for five days? Makes you call and check in with him?"

Ashley's irritation flared even as she tried to stay calm. The rational side of her stated that there was no way that Isla could know everything they had gone through with Dion and she was just making stabs from her hurt pride for Ashley calling her out. The other, more emotional side, insisted that Ashley lash out at Isla as well and call her out on her prejudiced bullshit.

Taking a deep breath, Ashley's rational side won. She forced a pasted smile on her face. "I explained all that to you two days ago. Now, can we try to have a good time? What color was her hair?"

Immediately, Isla's mood lifted like a cloud. "It was this _gorgeous_ silver color! And it was long and silky - it's obvious she takes really good care of it - hey don't look at me like that; she let me touch her hair."

Ashley's brow raised immediately. "You _asked_ first, right?" she asked with a half laugh.

Isla scoffed and rolled her eyes, turning away from Ashley and a smile broke over her face instead, specifically for the deer that had followed them.

Ashley bowed, to which the deer in front of her bowed back. As she fed the creature the crackers in her hand, more showed up, to which she bowed, and repeated the process again. Even Knox started loosening up around the deer, his small tail wagging back and forth as he hesitantly sniffed Ashley's new friends.

At one point, Ashley stuck one of the crackers between her lips, an idea forming in her mind, and leaned over for the deer to take it from her. Tentatively he did, and snacked on it as Isla caught Ashley in the act and mimicked her friend.

Their previous tiff behind them, and their crackers all but gone - the last package stored in Ashley's backpack so they had some when they went into the shrine - they headed toward the Kasuga shrine, Knox confidently leading the way.

Thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance, which was an odd sound, especially when contrasted with the white clouds that dotted the blue sky. Within thirty minutes, however, about the time that they finished taking selfies outside the shrine and made their way into the building itself, the deer following close behind as the storm moved into the area, the skies opened up.

Thunder rumbled again, echoing inside the shrine as the rain on the roof far above their heads sounded like rice falling into a bowl.

As much as Hiei had other things he had to be doing while they were on this trip, at that moment, as Ashley took in what was around them, she wanted him near, to share this experience with him. She thought about texting him, but he had also been on his way toward Dion that morning. Knowing he wouldn't appreciate a text from her while he was hunting Dion, and trying not to laugh at what might happen if she sent it and Dion got ahold of the phone a second time, Ashley made a note to herself to call him later that night. Hopefully by then he would be at a place where he could talk.

The space inside the shrine was wide and cavernous, and if not for the deer and the cluster of people who had suddenly crowded the inside to escape the torrential downpour, it would have felt even more immense.

They had three hours before they needed to start making their way back toward the bus station, but those three hours slipped away quickly like sand between cupped fingers. There was so much to explore in the shrine itself, and Ashley and Isla made their way through with Knox, taking photo after photo, while being awestruck at the bronze statues inside.

After they had prayed to the temple's god and the rain had stopped, they made their way out onto the grounds again, and explored the land around the shrine, just taking in the beauty of it and eating a late lunch beneath one of the trees. The deer tried to knock them over to get to the food in their hands, and with laughs they pushed the deer-puppies - as Isla kept calling them - away.

Too soon, Ashley had to rise from her place on the bench, stretching, and looking over the grounds. Isla stayed seated, her legs pulled up close to her chest. It was so peaceful here, so quiet. Human and demons mingling and living at such a stark contrast from the rest of the world.

"If we don't start heading back we'll miss our train," Ashley finally spoke, breaking Isla of her reverie. She nodded, quietly, and rose, leading the way back toward the entrance of the park.

* * *

Day three of their journey streamed through the open windows of the _onsen_ that they had collapsed in during the late hours of the night after another four hour train ride from Nara to Hakone.

After getting dressed and walking Knox while Isla took a shower, Ashley dialed Hiei, remembering that she had forgotten to call him the night before. He picked up by the third ring.

"Good morning," she greeted him, wishing he was closer. Isla's words from the previous day slipped into her memory, then, and she batted them away as the distractions they were.

Hiei merely muttered a quick "Hn" into the receiver. The wind was loud, wherever he was, and Ashley would have missed it if she didn't know him so well.

"I miss you," she muttered, quietly, as she flushed from embarrassment. She could practically hear his smirk on the other end. "Have you caught up to Dion?"

The wind howled and crackled through the receiver. Was he in a tree? "Not yet. She's slipped through again," the frustration reflected in his voice, but that was all he said on the matter. "Kurama will be joining Yukina and Keiko with you today," he said instead. "You haven't had any issues?"

He tried to keep the detachment in his voice, the way he left any emotion - misplaced and ignored - but knowing him, and knowing how close they'd become these last few months, Ashley could find the tell-tale signs of his worry.

One, he admitted Dion had slipped through their grasp again, which was unlike him as he always said something akin to, "We're close" or "We'll get her soon." Two, he was sending Kurama to join their girls day. Three, his last question was asked in a rather clipped manner, as if he was somehow afraid to hear the answer.

"No issues," Ashley replied evenly, watching Knox catch the scent of something that had likely been roaming around during the night. "Isla and I have some… differences it seems."

She didn't mean for the emotion to catch her like it did, but even as she tried to clear her throat and hide it from Hiei, she still heard it loud as a bell.

Hiei wasn't the type to ask her if she wanted to talk about it, or comfort her, or ask what those differences were. He was the type to hear that she and her friend had differences and that be the end of it. He didn't pry, but he allowed her to open up about it if she wanted to by staying silent. He did in that moment, whether intentional or being distracted by something on his line of the phone. Either way, at that moment, Ashley really didn't want to go into detail about it. And considering the subject matter, that was a ranting that would more than likely go over better with another human who understood whatever psychic abilities were and who loved a demon and hated the world that they lived in.

Unfortunately, she had no one that fit that bill.

"It's nothing," she quickly brushed past the subject, steeling herself and clearing the emotion from her voice. "Do you know when Kurama is supposed to be here with them?"

"Sometime in the morning," Hiei replied. Meaning he didn't really know. Ashley had Kurama's number; she'd text him. A sound came from Hiei's end, like he's started to say something but thought better of it. Ashley waited. The wind howled.

Softer, as if he'd turned away from whatever he'd been doing, he said, "Just… Stay in one piece. You have three days. Think you can do that?"

Ashley smiled softly into the receiver. How very Hiei. "I'll try real hard," she replied with a smirk.

They disconnected, then, and as she walked Knox back to their room, she sent a text to Kurama. - _Hiei tells me you_ _'ll be joining us today! What time do you think you'll get here?-_

Knox entered their room first, tongue lolling in excitement to see Isla even though they'd just been gone less than ten minutes. "Knox!" Isla exclaimed, feeding his excitement. "It's been so long! Did you go pee?" she asked, her voice high and cute for the corgi.

"Looks like my friend K- _Minamino_ is going to be joining us today," Ashley said, quickly correcting herself to use his human name. "I just texted them to see when they'd get here."

Isla nodded, her hand finding her cross necklace to fiddle with it again. "That's fine. A girls day was too much to hope for anyway." The sarcasm that dripped from her voice was nearly overwhelming, but if Ashley told her that Minamino was coming so that she'd have an extra layer of protection from Dion they'd likely just get into another disagreement about demons. It wasn't her secret to tell that Kurama was a demon, anyway. "I can't wait to meet more of your new friends."

"Hey now," Ashley rebutted, not feeding into Isla's disdain. "I like for all of my friends to get along. That's what we'll do today, won't we?"

She felt like a mother scolding her child, but Isla could deal with it. Of course, she would have made new friends going to a new place. It wasn't like she lived in a bubble after all. Dion or no, Ashley had met her friends before Dion was a player in the game.

Isla plastered on a smile that didn't touch her eyes. "Of course. We'll have _fun_."

"Do you need to go back to sleep? You're awfully irritable this morning."

Isla sighed. "It's not like this place has coffee. I'll be fine once I get it I'm sure." She fell back onto the bed in mock exasperation. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Ashley replied evenly, unlocking her phone as a text from Kurama came in. "I just don't want today to be difficult, you know? I want us to have fun."

 _-We should arrive in the next twenty minutes. Where should we meet you?-_

"They're about twenty minutes out," Ashley said, standing and hoisting her backpack onto her shoulders. As fun as it was for Knox to come with them, she was also grateful that it had just been her traveling alone during the first three weeks of vacation. She made a note to herself to thank Yukina and Kuwabara again when she saw them. "Let's go get food and we'll meet them out front."

Sure enough, twenty minutes later, with food in their stomachs and Isla sipping on a hot coffee, she'd relaxed into the person Ashley usually knew her to be.

They decided to meet at the ropeway that would take them up the mountain. And as Isla finished her coffee and threw away the cup, around the corner came the three people Ashley was looking forward to seeing.

As she introduced them to Isla, who looked slightly uncomfortable around Yukina, Ashley realized it was like she was introducing her two worlds together. Isla, who came from home, where they were sheltered humans who had to deal with demons and the repercussions that came from having them live in this world. Then there was Kurama, who was a demon, and Yukina and Keiko, whom she'd known since first arriving. They'd been there while she started dating Hiei, and as she'd learned how demons tried to fit into a world where they weren't wanted. Like meshing oil to water. Hopefully their trip up the mountain would go smoother than the metaphor she'd created in her head.

As they caught up and boarded the ropeway, Ashley stole a side-long glance at Kurama. Isla hadn't yet figured out he was a demon, much like she hadn't until he'd told her. Isla laughed with him and treated him like an immediate friend. But Yukina, Isla tried to create physical space between herself and the teal-haired girl, even though Yukina had been nothing but nice to Ashley in the time she'd known her, and nothing but nice to Isla in the fifteen minutes after they'd met. And as much as Ashley could tell, Yukina wasn't a demon. But the hair and eyes, she realized, must have turned Isla off to the idea of Yukina being human. Yes, Isla treated her politely and civilly, but it was a forced civility that Ashley only picked up on because she'd known the girl for so many years.

Once they debarked, Ashley pulled Isla aside. "Ease up there. You're being obvious."

"They don't belong here, Ashley."

Her words caught Ashley by surprise, and shock only registered in her mind as anger flushed through. Now was not the time, but she would bring it up again later, when they were alone. Skipping over the obvious jab at Yukina, sweet Yukina, Ashley snapped. "She's _human_ , Isla. Behave yourself." Whether or not that was actually true was beside the point, as Ashley realized she didn't quite know one way or the other.

Isla shrugged Ashley's hand off her arm and stalked away, catching up to Keiko. "Have you been here before?" Ashley caught the question from Isla.

A hand at her elbow nearly made her start. "Is everything alright?" Kurama asked gently, shifting his gaze from Ashley to the girl now standing next to Keiko.

Ashley sighed, determined not to bring down the mood. "Isla has some… opinions." How _much_ did Ashley wanted to rant, but would Kurama, a demon, understand? No; it'd likely hurt him while it made Ashley feel better. "I'm just seeing them for the first time."

"Ah," he replied, walking next to Ashley. "She doesn't believe demons should be here." He nodded, as if in understanding.

Ashley flattened her lips into a line. "It's frustrating." She hesitated, but no one else was in earshot and Kurama had asked. "We were so close up until I came here. Granted, my eyes were opened thanks to you and everyone else, but she refuses to open her mind and let down her prejudice. Like, I won't, I _can_ _'t_ go back to how I thought before, and I'll admit, before I tolerated the presence of other demons, but you all belong here. This is your world, too. But she refuses to come forward and meet me halfway, or even just get to the tolerating level. I just… I don't know how deep our friendship can go if we're on different levels." _Or how long our friendship will last,_ was what she didn't speak aloud.

"Come on, you two! Hurry up!" Isla turned back toward them with a smile. She already had one foot on the path leading up to the gysers.

"Sorry-" Ashley realized she'd been rambling as Kurama lifted his hand in a light wave, as if he was pushing her worry aside.

"It's no bother. We can talk about it more later, if you like? Now, I don't think is the time." He smiled, to which she returned the gesture, and shrugged.

"Perhaps. Thank you." She doubted she'd rant to him again. It was good to at least speak her worries aloud, but he was close to the issue at hand. It would do no good to upset him over this, even though he didn't seem the least bit bothered by it.

Officials had blocked the geysers off, but had created trails so that tourists could climb up and get closer to them. Although, how close came into question. Not only was it warm from the steam, but the stench of the sulfur was nearly overwhelming. Keiko started looking a little green barely a half hour into the hike and their group headed back, Kurama and Yukina heading straight for the black eggs.

"I'm not eating that," Isla announced as the group tore into their individual eggs. Isla held hers hesitantly, as if she was afraid it might bite her.

"It's literally just a regular boiled egg, Isla," Keiko chirped. Ashley stayed silent, watching Isla interact with her friends.

Isla merely raised a brow.

"It'll add years to your life," Yukina chimed in, taking a bite of her own.

With that, Isla glanced back down at her innocent black egg, and slowly, carefully, peeled it. "Extra life is good," Ashley could have sworn Isla muttered as she peeled. Her raven-haired friend devoured her egg without further grumbling.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the geological museum on site and heading back down the Hakone ropeway to Hakone itself to shop and enjoy the _onsens_. Kurama mostly hung back to let the girls shop, keeping a mindful ear on them, but doing his own thing for the most part. Really, the only reason Kurama was there was to provide peace of mind to Hiei, so he minded his own business for the most part.

Isla slowly warmed up to Yukina over the course of the day. She was still awkward around her and civil, but watching the two of them interact Ashley could almost swear that Isla wanted to be friends with the girl, but for whatever reason, kept Yukina at arm's length. It was almost like she was self-monitoring. Any time Isla caught herself being nice to the girl and becoming friends, she would put physical space between the two of them and become cold again.

It was the strangest thing to watch.

By the time the sun was setting, the five of them had made their way back to the hotel to drop off their souvenirs and get down to the bathhouse. Kurama headed over to the men's and then it was the women left to bathe at the _sento_.

Each of them had their own little stall, and made quick work of getting their bodies clean, before wrapping themselves in a towel and heading outside to the actual _onsen_. The way the sun set and silhouetted Mount Fuji was magical. Other bathers were already in the _onsen_ , enjoying the warm waters, and the girls found their own little corner of the _onsen_. Each girl politely looked away as the others slid into the water, but Isla happened to look up right as Ashley was entering, and stifled a gasp.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to look!" She anxiously apologized, flushing red enough that the tips of her ears took on a purplish tint. Ashley laughed, although embarrassed her friend would see her so uncovered, at the same time it wasn't scandalous. "But are you _okay_?"

Taken aback, Ashley raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"That mark on your abdomen. Has it always been there?" By this time, Isla had garnered the attention of Keiko and Yukina as well. Ashley immediately knew what Isla was talking about as the other girls asked Isla what it was she saw and she explained it for them. It was about an inch wide; just a pink puckered line drawn over her left ribs. Like a scar that had never healed, even though she'd never been injured there before.

"I've seen you in a bathing suit before," Isla said, turning back to Ashley, shock written over her face. "But I've never seen that."

"Well usually I'm wearing a one-piece anyway," Ashley said with a smile, but it didn't ease Isla's worry. "It's fine! I promise!" Hiei had seen it that first night they had had sex, too, and asked about it, and she'd told him the same thing she now told her friends, "It's just a birthmark, we think. The doctors checked it out and everything. It just randomly appeared when I was about fourteen or so. No one knows what it is, but it's harmless."

"As long as you're sure," Isla muttered, still not convinced. She watched Ashley like she was worried about her.

Ashley had to laugh at Isla's concern. "I'm _fine_. It's my body and I'm not worried. You shouldn't be either." At that she changed the subject, feeling more than a little self-conscious and trying to enjoy the night rather than focusing on her imperfections.

Yukina, Keiko, and Kurama had all gotten rooms at the hotel of the _onsen_ as well, and by the time morning came, they rode the train in to Tokyo up until Ashley and Isla de-boarded for Tokyo Disney with exclamations of how much fun they had all had. Yukina held onto Knox's leash, taking him back with her as she promised she would cook for them all before Isla left. Then the train doors slid shut between them.

Ashley glanced at Isla, who looked uncomfortable again. Quietly sighing, she exclaimed, "Shall we go?"

* * *

Tokyo Disney was a fun-filled day, with quarrels and disagreements about the state of the world and the occupants thereof far away. By the time they stumbled into Ashley's apartment that night, she would have sworn they were both too tired to notice anything, but that didn't stop Isla from commenting on the state of her blackened, shattered overhead light above the futon and _kotatsu_.

"I just had a little accident, that's all," Ashley brushed it off to Isla's horror as she put the pieces together.

The next day was reserved for sleeping in - for the first time all vacation - and sightseeing around Tokyo. Going to the Tokyo Tower, visiting Asakusa, visiting the Imperial Palace, and going to a couple anime cafes were just a few things that Ashley and Isla did that final day. Stumbling back to Ashley's flat, tired as hell, but laughing all the same, Ashley's phone chimed. Digging it out of her pocket, she read, "Looks like Yukina's hosting dinner tonight. Wait until you try her cooking; it's phenomenal!"

Isla was already inside the flat, putting her purchases down as Ashley locked the door behind them. "What if we don't go, though?" She asked it hesitantly, as if she was afraid to ask it at all, and Ashley froze, just about damn tired of Isla's shit mindset toward people different from herself.

"I don't want to go," she repeated, turning toward her friend. "Why don't you and I just have dinner tonight? Last dinner between us before I have to go back." She suggested it in a friendly way, but Ashley couldn't see it as friendly.

Ashley decided to test the waters. "What if Hiei joins us?" Isla bit her lip, hesitant.

There. That hesitancy. "What is wrong with you, Isla? You've had this prejudice to you this entire trip and I'm so tired of it!"

Isla, realizing what she was doing, stopped biting her lip and said, "Demons don't belong in this world." She looked tired when she said it, her gaze exhausted, but her voice was strong; adamant.

It hit Ashley, then, what she was missing. "Say it again. Tell me what you think about demons."

Isla set her jaw; determined. That was new. "Demons don't belong in this world. They're just trying to lead us astray from God-"

"No." Ashley said evenly, amazed she'd missed it before. "You're quoting. I don't know who or what you're quoting, but you're quoting, like you're repeating this shit from someone else. It's like you don't even believe what you're saying."

"But I do-"

"Then you're a terrible person."

The air drained from the room.

"You should be ashamed to wear that cross."

Isla looked like she was about to break. "Ashley-"

"No. Don't." Ashley was done. Completely done. Isla had done nothing except show coldness to all of her friends, including disdain toward Hiei. She was done pretending like nothing was wrong. "If you're quoting like I think you are, then tell me."

Isla said nothing. She didn't fidget, she didn't move, didn't try to deny the accusation. Her gaze stayed on Ashley, hurt and betrayed, but she said nothing.

"I can't be around you right now," Ashley threw up her hands. "I'm going to dinner at Yukina's, who is a fabulous cook, and you can sit here and miss out."

Without a backward glance, Ashley took her purse and walked out the door, leaving Isla alone in the flat.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Twenty-One -**_

* * *

 **I don** **'t actually know what to say about this chapter. It was a beast, a monster, a mountain I couldn't scale for five months. Literally; I started writing this in January and couldn't figure out where I wanted to go or how to get there. Then I realized I needed to flesh out Isla's character, and she became loosely based on a friend of mine.**

 **I had to do some digging with Isla, and while I know where she** **'s headed and how we get there, Twenty-One became easier to write. Not FUN, but easier. If anyone is interested, I wrote a side story called "Puncture Wounds" going into Isla's backstory. It'll stand as a one-shot for now, but I'll add more to it later.**

 **Thank you to** _ **Ruler of the elements**_ **for your review on chapter twenty, and** _ **musicnutftw**_ **for your review on chapter twelve. I loved getting to read both of your reactions! They both, quite literally, made my day.**

 **Chapter 22 will be out on May 19! See y** **'all then!** **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	22. Heathrow

**Content Warning** **: This story as a whole reflects what I see and experience in the world and this chapter draws a direct line to terror attacks around the world. I was excited to post this chapter as we** **'re finally getting into the meat of the story, but the Santa Fe High School shooting serves as a grim reminder of how and why this story popped into my head in the first place. I just finished putting the last touches on the chapter, and now, after having the shooting happen, it's broken my heart. Please be mindful when reading this chapter and the chapters to come. I will post a content warning when appropriate.**

 **Note : I left out at the beginning of twenty-one that Ashley had been traveling throughout Japan for the first three weeks of summer, leaving Knox with Yukina and Kuwabara. I** **'ve gone back and fixed the chapter now, but wanted to make note.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two

 _Heathrow_

"She's gone."

"She didn't wake you?"

Ashley shook her head, strands of blonde hair waving back and forth. She worried at her nail beds, to which Hiei immediately caught. "You're doing it again," he muttered with a pointed look. Ashley flattened her lips into a line, and stopped the action immediately, only to turn away. "After what you described last night, if she wants to leave early, let her leave early. She deserves to get lost if that happens."

Ashley didn't admonish him, but grabbed her phone from it's charger and unlocked it, typing a quick message to Isla, _-Why didn_ _'t you wake me? I wanted to talk about it all with you before you left-,_ but thought better of it and deleted the text before she could send it.

That had been yesterday, Wednesday. By the end of the day, knowing Isla had a two hour layover in Dubai before boarding British Airways for the final leg of her journey, Ashley texted her, hoping Isla was okay.

 _-Will you let me know when you get home?-_

By Thursday, Ashley rolled out of bed with her seven o'clock alarm and declared, "I'm going to walk Knox," after checking her phone to see if she'd gotten a text from Isla yet. She should have gotten home sometime before the sun rose in Japan. No matter; her parents had probably bombarded her as soon as she'd stepped through the door. Or maybe she was still upset with Ashley.

Just as quickly as the thought came, Ashley banished it again, bending down to fasten Knox to his leash as the corgi ran in circles around her feet.

The Thursday morning they found themselves with started out like any other Thursday. Ashley walked Knox, leaving Hiei to delve deeper into the sheets for a few more minutes. On a typical Thursday, Hiei would turn the television on on his way to the bathroom and come out to adjust the channel to a news station. Any news station. If the satellite was being willing that day, the BBC, but any would do. By the time Ashley made it back up to the flat, she would throw some sort of breakfast together for the two of them and then get ready for her ten o'clock class.

On Thursday, August 27, as summer break was drawing to a close, that was not the case.

By the time Ashley made it back upstairs, however, Hiei hadn't moved from in front of the tv. Or perhaps he had and he was now coming back to change the channel. Either way, as Ashley shut the door behind her, Hiei turned to face her, expression dark.

Her stomach dropped, dread heightening her heart rate. "Hiei," she began slowly, taking her time to make it into the living space. "What's wrong?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but the television beat him to it, _"…threats of violence at Heathrow airport came in not even two hours ago…"_ Heathrow airport. _Isla._ _"… but parts of the Emirates terminal have already collapsed, killing both civilians and airport personnel. Officials tried to evacuate the airport when the threats first came in, but the airport soon went on lock down by the demons inside, taking the travelers hostage. Our viewers may remember the Shono Legion, who, in recent months, have been responsible for more than a dozen attacks against humanity-"_

 _Surely she landed and got out in time_.

A pounding came to the door that immediately made Ashley flinch, but Hiei was already crossing the small flat to get it.

Another male voice was immediately heard once the door opened. As much as she wanted to turn around and greet whomever it was that had decided to pay her a visit, another part of her, a stronger part of her, couldn't tear herself away from the images on the television.

Hiei crossed back into her field of vision as the man at the door yelled his name.

"I _know_ , Urameshi!" he snapped back. Yusuke. Yusuke was the man at the door. "You go on. I'm getting her to Yukina's; I'll catch up."

"We need you _now_."

Hiei turned on him. "If this is a ploy to get me away from her, you can bet I won't be idiotic enough to leave her without protection." His voice was like steel. Unbending, unmovable.

"Dude," Yusuke came back, quieter. "Kurama's plants-"

" _Leave it,_ Urameshi. I'll catch up."

Hiei waited until Yusuke had shut the door behind him and then turned back to Ashley, who hadn't moved from where she had found out about Heathrow. Carefully, gently, and completely unsure, Hiei placed his hands on her shoulders.

With a start, Ashley came to, realizing where she was, and who she was with.

Lips pressed into a firm line. "I'm okay," she reassured him, whose expression was so scrunched in worry, she felt pain for him. "I'm okay," she repeated, even as a shiver racked her body. She wasn't cold, though, and this close to Hiei should ward off any sort of cold.

If this was any other situation, his lips might quirk up in humor. As it was, however, he remained unreadable. "I'm getting you to Yukina's. Pack a bag."

"You're going to have to go, aren't you?" It wasn't really a question. Ashley had heard the announcer say that the Shono Legion had taken responsibility for the attack and was still holding hostages. Which could mean Isla, or any other of her family for that matter; who knew who was traveling today.

Ice gripped her spine.

Hiei froze, an expression blooming across his eyes and parting his lips ever so slightly. Before, it had been easy. Before she had squirmed her way into his life, he was all business: taking care of issues and attacks without second thought. Now, things were different. He'd told her that once. Now he went with everything, all his power with him, because there was someone he wanted to protect, and if he failed, it would likely mean she would fall, too.

At the time, Ashley had smiled a hidden sort of smile, pride filling her chest. Now, it was painful to admit that she didn't want him to go. She didn't want him to put his life on the line, which he seemed to do every time he left her flat. If she could, if she had the power, she would hole them up in that little flat so that no danger could touch them. No danger could have the power to rip their lives apart.

But what kind of life would that be for this man who _loved_ to fight?

If only she had some sort of ability to protect his back, too. The electricity that she'd found within herself was so weak compared to his power. It was nothing but a nuisance. Desire to protect _him_ for once, rushed through her.

She'd told Isla a little over a week ago that she loved this man, and Isla's words came back to her, then, _"If you feel that way, you need to tell him."_ She hesitated.

"Please stay safe," Ashley muttered instead, reaching for his hand. He allowed himself to grip her hand in return, but rolled his eyes with a _tsk_.

"For you, yes, but only if it'll make you shut up with that emotional crap."

It was his normal response, and probably as heartfelt as he would ever be with her. She waited for affection to bloom in her chest for this man, as it usually did.

This time, though, it only made her worry more.

* * *

"Yukina, you're freezing! Doesn't Kuwabara let you leave the air up?" Ashley asked, trying to hide a shiver after her embrace with the young woman. Hiei had already left after sparing a final glance towards Ashley, a look that was only for her, and then he'd disappeared, Yukina welcoming Ashley and Knox into her home without question.

It hadn't even been a half hour since Yusuke had showed up in her flat. It had barely been fifteen minutes since she'd hurriedly typed out a message to Isla asking if she'd made it out in time. To hell with this tiff that they'd had. Isla could at least let Ashley know that much, right? Besides, even before their most recent fight she was like a sister, and would be her sister as soon as Sophia and Daniel married. They'd get over this tiff.

Isla, who was always on her phone, hadn't texted her back yet.

Ashley tried not to think about what that could mean. It could mean anything, right?

Keiko was already at the apartment, sitting in front of the couch with a dark-haired woman behind her that Ashley didn't recognize. The woman looked to be a handful of years older than herself, and she was running her hands through Keiko's long locks absentmindedly. The television was already on in the living area. Already turned to the Tokyo news station that played the attack on Heathrow in a loop. The news reporter seemed to be interviewing one of the officials in charge of ending this hostage situation, and he was going over the numbers of who was trapped inside: " _seventy six thousand airport personnel, and more than thirty three thousand civillians -_ _"_

"Ashley, this is Shizuru, Kazuma's sister." Yukina, ever the gracious host, began.

For whatever reason, Ashley's mind seemed to be running a few steps slower than everyone else seemed to be operating. She stuck out her hand in a normal greeting before realizing that she was singling herself out against traditional customs. Embarrassed, and fighting the flush of scarlet that rose to her cheeks, she quickly retracted her hand and bowed low.

"You seem stressed," Shizuru replied instead, an almost bored tone to her voice.

How could she answer that without giving too much away? Her mind couldn't think more than a few thoughts at once, so she ended up just giving a half shrug.

"Come sit," the older woman said, patting the couch next to her.

As soon as Ashley sat Shizuru turned from Keiko, who rose and walked around the couch to wherever Yukina was, and turned to Ashley. "Turn around."

Ashley followed Shizuru's command, and immediately her fingers ran through her hair, pulling the elastic band until her ponytail fell out and her locks fell over her shoulders.

The news reel continued playing as Yukina and Keiko spoke in hushed tones in the kitchen. A tea kettle was placed on the stove.

Ashley didn't try to overhear what they said. Instead, focusing on the gentle motions of the woman running her hands over her scalp in the most soothing motions she'd felt in months.

She gripped her phone, waiting for the triple vibration to alert her that Isla's text had come in letting her know she'd made it home.

* * *

An hour later she couldn't stand it anymore and texted Isla again, asking again for confirmation that she was safe.

A teacup had soon replaced her phone in her hand. Shizuru never spoke, and never tired of creating hairstyle after hairstyle in Ashley's golden hair.

The tea went cold. Ashley drank it anyway.

"… _and as you can see, the mediators employed through the Human-Demon Alliance have arrived on scene and are attempting to end the conflict here today._ _"_

The boys had arrived. Half a world away. Back home.

Ashley spotted Kuwabara's orange curls immediately as the camera zoomed in. Hiei was easy to spot next: look for the shadow that never stayed still.

" _Although their presence is a controversial matter."_

" _I know, Tamaki. So many people believe that demons should stay out of the conflict altogether, especially since they are the ones who make up the Legion."_

This was the first time Ashley had seen him fight. Even half a world away, chills rose up her spine as he unsheathed his sword.

" _Well, not all demons are interested in war, as we've seen with the musical artists, KRJ-"_

" _And, moving away from that topic, it seems as if communication lines have failed inside and violence is being resorted to. The Guardians have arrived on-scene, offering to go in with force to end this attack-"_

* * *

Violence raged on the television as the day passed. Neither side seemed ready to bow down.

The Guardians, armed with assault rifles and other weapons that police rarely used, were able to sneak inside while the boys kept the Legion distracted, and some returned every so often with half a dozen people every hour. Some were injured, some were bleeding profusely. Most were terrified: dirty faces streaked with tears.

" _There's even rumors that they've infiltrated the governments,"_ Isla had said a week ago. Ashley had laughed it off then, but what if it was true? How else were they able to act like a SWAT team and enter the airport to fight back?

* * *

Ashley texted Isla half a dozen times that day. She tried calling her, but each time it went straight to voice mail.

By five that evening, Keiko was making dinner in the kitchen with Shizuru, who had finally pleated Ashley's hair into a french braid, and Ashley had joined Yukina on the patio, phone purposefully left inside on the coffee table. Knox joined them on the tiny patio. With both chairs set up outside and Knox on the ground, there was no room to close the door, so it remained propped open. However, it provided a nice little breeze of air conditioning that escaped from the main room; a nice reprieve from the suffocating humidity of Sarayashiki in August.

Ashley and Yukina sat in an amiable silence, each enjoying the afternoon as best they could. Even if it was only a slight break from the nearly overwhelming stress that the television provided. It was a catch-22, though. They couldn't turn it off. Their loved ones were on the other side.

Ashley wanted to talk to Yukina, but how, she wasn't sure. The other woman was kind, and had showed Ashley nothing but kindness since she'd first picked her up at the airport all those months ago, but that was about as much as she knew about the other girl. As much as she wanted to be friends with her, the _how_ in bridging that gap and forming any sort of friendship past their relationship through the university seemed difficult.

"You seemed tense at dinner the other night. Did everything end okay with you and Isla?" Yukina asked tentatively, watching Ashley, who immediately lowered her gaze and drank from her mug.

She could tell Yukina the truth. But the truth was hard to bear, even for Ashley, who had known Isla for six years. "Not really," she admitted, the words quiet. She stared into her mug. "Isla…" the sentence died on her tongue. There was no point in admitting what her friend had said. Ultimately, could they stay friends? Hiei was a demon, like the demons Isla had condemned before.

How could she reconcile the two worlds she belonged in?

Yukina let the subject drop. Words from the television drifted out to meet them. The boys had had to retreat, apparently.

"Thank you for sharing your world," Yukina muttered, the words small, but determined. Ashley glanced up. "You're in the minority, I think, who are okay with us being here."

 _Us_.

Ashley's gray gaze locked with Yukina's scarlet one. _Us._

"You're a demon, too?" Ashley asked. A bird called from a tree nearby.

Yukina merely nodded in the affirmative. "It's times like these that it will be hard to exist in a shared space for awhile." Ashley's mind immediately went back to Isla's words. "But thank you for sticking up for us. Keep doing that, if you don't mind."

The compliment felt weird to receive, and Ashley changed the subject. "Can I ask… what's your world like?"

Yukina's lips twitched upwards in a small, sad sort of smile."It's cut-throat. Or at least most of it is. Survive or die, mostly. At least that's what I found when I started traveling. There are some parts that aren't that way, but it's rare. And those places have their own issues. We'll be our own death of ourselves."

"Why were you traveling?"

"I was looking for my brother," she admitted. "And I ended up finding more than just a brother. I was…" she trailed off, lost in thought. After a moment, she shook her head, dispelling whatever it was that she remembered. "It doesn't matter. But I've never felt more at home than I do here. This is my world, now, and I don't ever want to go back to the Makai. I love it here. It's beautiful, and multi-faceted, and simpler." She listed off the qualities like she was trying to find the perfect words to describe earth. "It's home. More of a home than I've ever known."

Her words seemed like an admission of some kind, although Ashley didn't want to press for details when Yukina was so precise in what she explained to her.

"This world isn't perfect either, you know," Ashley said instead.

Yukina looked away, off the balcony. "I know."

* * *

Yukina and Kuwabara's flat came with two bedrooms, but the four girls ended up making cots on their living room floor, staying up and talking for most of the night. At one point, Ashley told them about what she accidentally did with the phone chord and the light in her flat, the heat rising in her cheeks, but Yukina slipped a hand to her own and squeezed gently, her touch cool. For the first time all day the television had finally been turned off, but no one was sleeping. Heathrow's battle still raged on the other side.

"You should get that checked out by Genkai," Keiko said from the couch, hugging a pillow to her chest. Shizuru had claimed the couch to sleep but Keiko sat beside her, her own cot below. "She's a spiritual master."

"Hiei mentioned her name when it happened," Ashley replied. "The problem is finding time, you know?"

Keiko replied with a long, "Yeah. Who has any of that anymore?"

"But really, Ashley. Kuwabara had spiritual abilities and he trained on how to use them. Now he can fight back. It could be useful anyway," Yukina chimed in, referring to her current beacon-like situation with the Legion. Ashley cracked a smile, but something stopped her from agreeing.

"When you say spiritual abilities, what do you mean?"

"For him, it was like seeing spirits and stuff," Shizuru spoke. "I've always been the same."

"Well I certainly can't do that," Ashley replied, thinking back to her history and the House, and Annabelle pushing her down the stairs. "My sister can, but I can't."

"It can present in other ways, too," Shizuru said. "For example, can you feel Yukina's energy?"

Ashley looked at the teal-haired woman next to her. The woman in question smiled gently, as if easing Ashley into relaxation.

"Her… energy?" Ashley asked, quirking a brow.

"Yeah. Genkai says you can feel another person's energy with your own," Keiko said.

Ashley tried to wrap her mind around that. "How?"

Yukina shifted, sitting up on her cot. "Sit up for me?" Ashley did as she was told, and faced Yukina. The woman offered Ashley her hands, which she took. "Eventually you'll be able to do this without physical touch, but while you're learning it's easier." Yukina spoke with the gentleness of a patient teacher. "I want you to close your eyes." Ashley followed her prompts without question, eager to learn something about whatever it was that had suddenly started residing within her. "Take a deep breath; feel your heart ease.

"I want you to find your energy in your mind. It's likely in your center- your chest. Do you feel it?"

Ashley tried not to bite her lip. "What's it supposed to feel like?" Honestly, she had no idea what she was supposed to be 'looking' for.

"It should feel familiar; like an extension of yourself. It's the calm that resides within you."

Ashley took another deep breath, willing her mind to calm. _Find her energy_. It sounded nearly impossible, but as she sat there, eyes closed, the world quieted. Within her, within her chest, she felt it: a hum of sorts, telling her everything would be alright.

An instinctual chill rose up her spine to the base of her skull.

A laugh bubbled up, as she felt it. It was warm, and tingling. And Yukina was right. It was familiar; it was the same energy she felt any time she held anything electronic, or fixed a problem with Oliver's phone. It was like greeting an old friend, because she'd known this energy her entire life.

"I want you to take your energy with your mind-" because that wasn't weird at all "-and slowly ease it through your hands into me. I want your energy to meet mine."

Ashley nearly let her energy slip back into the imaginary hole in her chest, but she focused harder.

Push it out through her fingers. That wasn't an odd request at all.

But _how_ to push it out, especially so that it wouldn't harm any more light fixtures?

Tentatively and painstakingly slow - it could have been hours or minutes - Ashley focused on her energy, but any time she went to _push_ it out, it slipped.

She would focus harder, and it would come back into sharp focus, like a camera lens being adjusted.

"Try guiding it," Shizuru's voice came from somewhere beyond the void of her eyelids. "Like, think about your arms, and imagine it flowing out."

This was easily the weirdest thing she'd ever done, but Ashley followed Shizuru's advice. Letting some of her focus slip, she instead shifted her attention to the feeling of her arms and hands, and how they felt in Yukina's cool grip.

Easily, as if she was tilting a cup with water inside, her energy followed the path her mind had created, and flowed from her center, through her arms, and into Yukina.

Of course, it didn't flow _into_ Yukina, as Yukina's own energy met hers. Ashley immediately sensed a wall, and _cold_ like ice. The harshest winters, snow drifts, the first snowfall.

Her eyelashes fluttered as her eyes opened, but her energy continued to meet with Yukina's own. The teal-haired girl had broken out in a proud smile. "Ice?" Ashley asked carefully. "You're an ice demon?"

She nodded. "Yes."

As soon as they broke their hand holding, Ashley felt her energy slip back into her center, but it never fully disappeared again. If she fell quiet for a moment, she could feel it there, in her chest, tingling with a warmth she had never really known before.

This was _her_ energy.

The girls devolved into a giggling fit over something that Yusuke and Kuwabara had done back when they were younger. Stories were passed around, Ashley regaling them with situations she and Oliver had often gotten into as children.

It was close to midnight, but they weren't yet asleep when Ashley's phone lit up with Isla's face on the caller ID.

Ashley grabbed for it, alerting Knox and making him whine, as she shot straight up and unlocked her phone.

"Isla?" The other girls went silent. "Isla? Are you okay?" She couldn't keep the worry from her voice. Fight or no fight; this was her sister in all ways except blood.

But what met her on the other side was static and gunfire. Ashley could barely hear Isla huffing on the other side.

"Isla?" Ashley asked quieter, frozen in place.

Something banged on the other end, and a moment later, Isla's whispered voice came like a breath of fresh air, but she was panicked and speaking quickly. "Ashley? Ashley can you hear me?"

"I can hear you, Isla!" Ashley nearly yelled through her phone. She wanted to reach through the phone right then and reach her, but being half a world away was like being caught in a nightmare and unable to wake yourself.

Isla yelped and something exploded in the background. "Ashley, I can't hear you, but I think you can hear me." She was huffing, like she'd just run a marathon, and paused, before coming back to the receiver. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry Ashley," the desperation in her voice was almost too much. "I didn't mean what I said before but I couldn't -" she disappeared again as something else exploded. More gunfire rang out. "I couldn't let them find you. I had to say them. I'm sorry... I had to see you. I wasn't supposed to, but I had to." She was rambling in desperation and disappeared again. The next moment it sounded like she was moving; the phone kept hitting something.

Behind her, Ashley was aware that someone had turned the television back on. Turning, she took it in. The caption at the bottom of the screen read, _British Airways Terminal,_ the terminal Isla had landed in. Black smoke plumed into the sky.

 _Let her have gotten out. Let this be a different area that she_ _'s in._

She steeled herself. Her stomach was in knots. "Isla? Isla, it's okay. It's all okay; you stay alive, alright?" Ashley couldn't do anything but listen and try to reach her friend, but Isla couldn't hear her.

"Listen to me - Ashley? Oh shit!" Something else exploded, this time too close to the phone receiver. On the television, an explosion of fire and smoke erupted into the sky.

It was another good minute before Isla came back to the phone, and even then, her voice sounded far away, like she wasn't talking to Ashley but herself. "I think this is it."

A chill rose up Ashley's spine. "Don't say that; you're going to be okay-"

"They're everywhere. What do I-" Like she lifted the phone back to her ear, she continued, louder, "Ashley. Don't listen to _anything_ anyone tells you. Use your own head." On the television, a series of explosions went off.

One. After. Another.

On the phone, Ashley could hear them getting closer. Dread pooled. Not daring to speak, fearful she missed what Isla said.

"I love you. Stay-" The terminal collapsed on the television.

The line clicked dead.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Twenty-Two -**_

* * *

 **I** **'ve known Heathrow was going to happen for almost a year now, but unfortunately, this is only the beginning of the issues Ashley and everyone are going to face. It's definitely a turning point for the story. The next two chapters will be from Hiei's point of view, and if you're just joining us (so many of you guys followed and faved last time, thank you!), my update schedule is on my profile. I post every other week, and take hiatuses during NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo. Chapter Twenty Three will be posted on June 2.**

 **Thank you to the wonderful** _ **WithLoveSammiV**_ **and** _ **Star Charter**_ **for your reviews on Chapter Twenty One! I loved getting them. Personally, reviews always mean a lot to me. I enjoy knowing what other people think of my story and my characters, and find that they** **'re the best way to tell if my audience is enjoying the story I am putting out for them. I mean, I personally love my characters and love where the story is going, but I'm curious about you, too, the people taking time out of their day to read this. So, if you are so inclined, I would love to hear from you, whether you loved it, or felt I could do better, or it broke your heart; I'd love to know what you felt or thought while reading.**

 **Shameless self plug: I have a tumblr (link on my profile) where I will often post things for On Dating a Demon, including possible spoilers, and mood boards that I create for this fic. I create one for every chapter. If you follow me there, please shoot me a message so I know you found me through ODAD and I** **'ll follow you back!**

 **Super big thank you to the artist Haux, and their song,** **"Sister," which I used to write a majority of this chapter. The Spotify playlist for this fic is also linked on my profile.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	23. Navia

**Content Warning: suicide by cyanide**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three

 _Navia_

"Bjorn, have you been well?" Kurama greeted the human boy with warmth and a smile. Whether or not it was genuine wasn't any of Hiei's concern. Bjorn got them where they needed to go and that was the extent of their relationship.

'Boy' might be the wrong word. The human was closer to Kuwabara's age, if he had to guess, although human ages always threw him. They aged at such a quick pace perhaps the guy was even older than twenty-five, and Hiei was none the wiser. It, of course, had startled him to learn that Ashley only had twenty-three years to her name, especially when he had decades. That was a thought that sobered him immensely, and something that would have to be brought up at some point, he knew. Just maybe not yet.

They were at Genkai's temple, the sun barely peeking over the horizon signaling the start of the day. Few people were even awake yet, except Genkai, of course, who was mostly awake to see off Hiei and Kurama. She'd slipped back inside for a moment, telling them to wait until she returned to leave. Some demons rose with the sun, especially those who camped on her lands, the temple turned into a refugee station of sorts. After the first Makai Tournament ten years ago, she'd apparently made an announcement that she wanted the temple to turn into a halfway house for demons moving to Human World. And in a way it was still a halfway house, but more so one for demon _refugees_ , fleeing the violence and prejudice of a world that hated what they were. Especially demons who couldn't blend in with their human brothers. Unable to integrate properly into Human World, and unable to return to Demon World for fear of retribution, the ones that needed a place to stay in this region of the world came here, to Genkai's temple.

Houses had apparently been set up across the world to act in a similar manner as the Guardians had gained traction years ago, providing relief and safety for thousands of demons, and they hadn't stopped in their efforts. With so many refugees, even humans volunteered to keep them running.

Some of the demons who were at this location kept at the tree line to watch their departure. Apparently, it was a big deal to see Bjorn use his ability. Hiei, of course, didn't see what the big deal was. He'd utilized Bjorn for his talent on more than one occasion. It was useful, and similar enough to Kuwabara's dimension sword that Bjorn could be used when Kuwabara wasn't around. It allowed the oaf to get back to his life, especially since Bjorn had made his permanent residence at the temple.

The boy in question smiled up through blond lashes. "I have, Kurama, thank you," he said with an accent. He once said he was from Norway. "A little town you've probably never heard of or will hopefully never visit," he'd said when Yusuke had pushed him. "It gets _cold_ in the winter."

"Has the barrier still been tricky?" Kurama questioned. Hiei let out an aggravated huff. The only reason they hadn't left yet was because Kurama had decided to strike up a conversation with Bjorn. The sooner they left, the sooner they could get back.

"It's only two weeks," Ashley had said when he told her that he would have to leave, trying to reassure him. Why was _she_ reassuring _him?_ "Not even a month." She'd tried to reassure _him_ when she could barely sleep and would only nibble at her food. It'd been only a day since Heathrow, but the attack had left her obviously shaken. It didn't help that the British Airways terminal that Isla had landed at had collapsed. Ashley hadn't told him what she'd heard on that phone line - Yukina had filled him in when he'd gotten back - but Ashley was clearly shell shocked. The only thing she'd told him was that she'd gotten a call from Isla right before the terminal collapsed and the line had dropped. They still hadn't found her body, but he knew Ashley was hopeless. Isla's parents had already called her, and Isla's name had been released on the BBC evening news as one of the victims the night before.

And now he had to leave. Because _Koenma_ had ordered him and Kurama. The trip had been planned for a few weeks, but still. They couldn't find anyone else last minute.

Beyond Heathrow, their latest run-in with Dion was over a month ago, but that appearance had certainly put him on edge. Which was why he had watched her from the shadows as she'd traveled around Japan and met up with her when she wouldn't chide him about being overprotective. He'd never tell her that he followed her, or had Kurama check in from time to time, but he was still worried, even with using Kurama's seeds.

Now, both he _and_ Kurama would be gone for a fortnight. Yes, he was leaving her in care of Yukina and Kuwabara, but what if Dion showed up while Kuwabara was at class? It wasn't like Yukina had ever held much power or will to fight.

Ashley had told him she didn't want him to protect her, but that didn't seem to be possible for him. He never saw the change in himself, but out of nowhere, nothing and no one seemed able to keep her safe as he could.

Still, as she'd pointed out: he couldn't keep her safe all the time. It was entirely plausible she could get hit by a bus. But that thought only set his teeth on edge.

This little person had become a large part of his life, and he didn't want anyone or anything harming her.

Bjorn shrugged, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "About the same," he replied casually. "It just… it feels like sand, or soap, that I can't really grasp - at least not for long. Used to, it was as firm as a wall in this world, but malleable. Now, if I try to manipulate it, I feel like I can barely hold on; like it's slipping." He thought for a moment, eyes on the sunrise beyond the trees, hands on his hips. "Maybe it's just the seasons. Or the lunar cycle. You've got to remember, I haven't even been making portals through the barrier for even a year. Maybe this is normal."

Kurama flicked his gaze toward Hiei, a silent question forming behind his green irises. "Perhaps."

"So what you're saying is it's going to be even more of a jarring experience than it normally is," Hiei stated, rather than asking in question. Bjorn was easy enough to get along with, but the sensation of his portals always turned his stomach, feeling like he'd been compressed, flipped, and his mind spinning before he landed on the other side. It wasn't a pleasant experience by any means.

Bjorn adopted a smirk. "If you don't like it, then you should use one of the barrier pockets instead. I heard there's one over in Russia, yeah?"

They'd been through similar conversations a hundred times over. At this point, it was as familiar as Yusuke and Kuwabara's constant banter. The barrier pockets were places where the barrier thinned, and demons were able to pass through before Spirit World placed restrictions on them. They were the ways that demons were able to travel between Demon World and Human world after they received traveling permits. Even though the barrier was restricted for most use, mediators like Hiei and Kurama were able to pass through if they found the locations, which were scattered across the globe.

"They don't put me where I need to go," Hiei admitted under his breath. Bjorn, however, caught the words.

"That's a shame. Guess you'll have to put up with me a little longer, then." He said it with his smirk growing wider. As handy as the barrier pockets were when trying to avoid using Bjorn's portals, they were also wildly random. _Where_ they spit out a traveler, that was to be determined only after one went through.

"Will you two knuckleheads knock it off? It's too early to listen to your bickering," Genkai had returned, slipping onto the porch to stand with the trio. "Although, it is better than the dimwit's."

They fell into an easy silence with Genkai there, acting as a force to keep them in line. "You two will be there, what, two weeks?" Genkai asked as Kurama and Hiei led the way down to the lawn around the temple. "You should have brought the girl here while you were gone. I could have started working with her."

Truthfully, Hiei had thought of that, but class was about to start up again for Ashley, and she'd been traveling for most of the summer. He explained it to Genkai, who merely nodded. "Well, get her out here soon. We need to see exactly what you've managed to coax out of her."

The jibe was deliberate, and internally, Hiei winced. Outwardly, he glared. "Keep talking," he growled.

Genkai barked a laugh. "Just stating the truth, Hiei. Your power obviously had some sort of impact on the girl, and from the background you've described to me before, we might be looking at something of significance like Bjorn, here." The boy preened at the mention of his name. "Watch it - don't let it go to your head," she followed up.

"In the meantime, be quick about your trip. You both know what we're dealing with here, and we'd all like to not have two less assets for too long."

That was about as sentimental as Genkai got, and before she could say another word, Hiei turned to Bjorn and nodded curtly.

Bjorn immediately stretched out his hands, clawed, like he was trying to grasp at something invisible. And indeed he was.

Even to Hiei, who had seen him create effortless portals in the past, it was apparent that the barrier had changed somehow. _How_ a barrier as immense as the one between Demon World and Human World could change was a different matter, but something had definitely changed, even in the last few months.

Bjorn's face contorted with concentration as a bead of sweat slipped from his hairline into his shirt.

"Push your spiritual energy, Bjorn; make it grasp the barrier. Push it through," Genkai muttered behind them. It occurred to Hiei, then, that she was less there to see them off, and more to make sure that Bjorn got the job done effectively. The last thing they needed was for the barrier to snap shut on them and their bodies be effectively cleaved. But he didn't say that aloud. That was the last idea he needed to put in Bjorn's head, he knew.

Slowly, painstakingly slow when compared to Bjorn's barriers between locations in Human World, the barrier between Demon World and Human world pried open its gaping maw. Shocks of spiritual energy and demonic energy both snapped and sparked as the portal grew, until it was large enough that both Hiei and Kurama could slip through.

Bjorn was panting behind them like he'd run a marathon. Without a second glance, both demons slipped through to the other side.

* * *

Bjorn's portal dropped them right in front of Koji's manor. Once, it was Enki's, and then it was Takayo's, and Hiei grimaced at the memory of coming here that night so long ago to do away with Shono. That was the night that had started this entire mess.

But now, six and a half years later, it was ruled by a very different demon, who was walking toward them with open arms.

Hiei disappeared right as Koji reached them, reappearing several feet away, as Koji bent down and enveloped Kurama in his open arms. Kurama squirmed, obviously uncomfortable as Koji picked him up. "Yoko Kurama!" the man bellowed in greeting. "Hiei Jaganashi!"

Koji placed Kurama back on the ground, who straightened his jacket irritably. Koji turned to look at Hiei, who disappeared from sight again, reappearing behind the man. "Touch me and you lose a hand," he growled.

A look of confusion crossed Koji's face momentarily before he burst out in a belly-shaking laugh. "As if you could! Have you already forgotten our match at the last tournament, Jaganashi?"

Hiei merely _tsk_ 'd and narrowed his glare. It was true; Hiei and Koji had indeed had one of the final matches of the tournament. It was Koji who'd given him the scar that ran the length of his back: from hip to shoulder. Koji, however, had escaped the fight without so much as a scratch. Most of his matches he didn't even have an injury. It was only during his last fight that he'd received the scar that ran from his forehead to sternum, across his right eye. He could still see though, and won the match quickly after that.

It had been a fight that no one in Demon World would soon forget.

His black hair was tied at the nape of his neck in a ponytail with a red tie. This, he never changed. If someone touched his hair, like a demon made the mistake of doing in the last tournament, they paid for it with their life.

"Well don't just stand there!" he announced, turning back toward the castle behind him. They followed him in.

Most demons hated being inside a building, but the castle had been built after the first Makai tournament ten years ago, and since then each of the Makai Kings had lived in this castle without complaint. It was cavernous and deep, stretching on for what seemed like forever. But it made the position much more official.

Koji took them to the training rooms. Ever the one for doing something - anything else - while he worked, he started wrapping his hands in preparation for a sparring match.

"So, what is it that our _great_ Spirit World Ruler wants to tell me?" The sarcasm that dripped from his tone was almost too much. "Stay in line? Don't do anything without permission? Did he see me scratching my ass last week? I could've sworn I asked his permission for that." His disdain was obvious, and Hiei removed his sheath from his waist, ready to have another go at this guy. Yeah, he was King, but if Koji wanted to fight, who was he to refuse? Kurama could give him the details.

The redhead simply sighed, already exasperated with the trip. "You know as well as I do that Spirit World is simply trying to contain this. Once the Legion has been dealt with, we can go back to our normal lives."

"Oh, can we?" Koji asked, appraising Hiei. "Have you gotten taller since I last fought you?" As Hiei simmered, Koji turned his back on him to Kurama. "If you remember, Yoko-" he kept using Kurama's demon name, and it clearly bothered Kurama, but he said nothing to stop the King. Koji used the pause to sprint toward Hiei, taking the first swing, to which Hiei disappeared and reappeared several feet away. "-Spirit World was this micro-managing _before_ the Legion as well. It's just gotten worse since. Almost as if they're using the Legion to maintain a tighter grip on all of us. Have you given _that_ any thought?"

Kurama didn't say a word, and in Koji's distraction, Hiei took the opportunity, his fist meeting Koji square in the stomach.

"Koenma asked us to pass along the following," Kurama replied, taking on a detached air, and breezing past Koji's question without hesitation. "First," he continued speaking over the racket that Koji and Hiei made throwing punches. "Spirit World is shutting down the barrier. Permanently. If you need to pass through, you will need to get special permission. This goes into affect on September 18th at midnight.

"Second, if you find any operatives of the Legion, search their person and hold for interrogation.

"Third, we need to discuss what you are doing in preparation for the war." Kurama folded the piece of paper he read from and placed it back in his pocket. Botan had delivered it to him personally from Koenma the night previously. Koenma wanted him to read from it directly. Ridiculous child.

Koji was definitely distracted with the last point, turning away from their fight for the briefest of seconds, to which Hiei took the opening and landed a right hook right on his jaw.

After going flying, and catching himself at the last moment before he hit the far wall, he held up his arms, signaling a time out to Hiei, who was huffing as well. Koji kept him on his toes, at least.

"Wait. Hold up. All this is what we've been hearing for _months_. Isn't there anything new?"

It was exactly what Hiei had said when Kurama showed him the parchment. "So the kid sent you both here to tell all of us the exact same thing he's been preaching for _months_?"

Kurama and Hiei stayed silent, both tense for the possibility of Koji attacking them. Of the four leaders they would be visiting, Koji was most likely the one to take his frustration out on them. Another reason why they weren't able to find any one else to cover for Hiei last minute. Few others were able to stand against Koji if he decided to lose his temper.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Instead of raging, he started laughing. Laughing so hard he fell to his knees as tears sprung from his eyes.

"You-You know what Koenma, great Prince he is and all that shit, is trying to do, don't you?" Koji swiped at the tears as he tried to catch his breath. Hiei and Kurama, especially Kurama, had understood immediately. They didn't need the explanation, but apparently Koji thought they did. "He's trying to keep us all in line. He's trying to appear as if Spirit World has control of the situation, which they obviously do not. They don't know what the hell is going on because all of their heads are too far up their own asses to even know what the fuck is going on. They're just posturing to try to maintain their own leadership. Fucking twats."

* * *

Kurama and Hiei did not stay with Koji overnight. He offered four times until Kurama cut him off, finally, and informed him that they needed to make the journey to Tourin on foot. That got his attention. Immediately Koji offered them to use his portal, created for the Kings to move from territory to territory without wasting time. And it was a convenient way to ignore the civil wars that had been raging across demon world for years. Honestly, to use his portal was what Kurama had been going for. They couldn't necessarily ask to use the portal, but if a leader offered they could certainly utilize the invention.

The technology was modeled after Kuwabara's dimensional sword, and it was just as useful.

"Would you mind behaving this time?" Kurama asked, barely turning to face Hiei as the portal split time and space to reach Tourin.

Hiei scoffed. "Tell that to _her_."

"She's not the guest. Or the problem."

"Kurama, perhaps you've been blinded by your… _affection_ for the woman," That was still something that Hiei did not and would never understand. "But she is much more manipulative than you give her credit for. I'm not taking chances." Hiei activated the Jagan as he spoke, just enough so that he could keep track of everyone who would be their welcoming party on the other side and know if anyone meant to kill them.

Kurama, however, merely sighed.

After stepping through the portal and it closing after them, both Hiei and Kurama were immediately knocked to the ground, knives held at their throats, and their hands clenched in another's. This was not new.

"Well, well, well, a fox and a dragon. How lucky are we, today?" the question was rhetorical, as her voice slid from the shadows like a snake. The Devil herself stepped from them a moment later, approaching Kurama and bending down, taking his chin in her hand. A wretched smile played over her lips. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

The Devil of the Terasu Forest. The Captain of the Guard. The Royal Princess. First Princess born in four hundred years. Hana Hitomi had a few titles to her name. The most notable was her reputation as assassin for the king, which was how she earned her nickname as the Devil in the first place. It was rumored that she'd killed the last five squad captains, pushing herself to fill the position. She was ruthless, and enjoyed killing, and led people on for the fun of it. She was easily the last person that Hiei would ever trust.

Kurama on the other hand, was arguably more trusting. "Hana," he began, struggling against the blade pressed against his throat. He was ridiculously calm. Hiei would have thrown his attackers off immediately except this wasn't the first time they had visited the Terasu Forest. This was protocol, just as Koji welcomed them with a hug each time. The Hitomi clan didn't take chances. "We bring a message from Koenma, and we're here to interrogate the operatives you caught last week." He stole a glance behind him, Hana followed his gaze to Hiei who glared back at Hana.

Her smile widened if possible. "Let them up," she ordered, and immediately the hands of her team that held Kurama and Hiei's hands pulled them to their feet. "You know the law." She purred to Kurama, holding his gaze with a coy smile even though she stood nearly an entire foot above him. She was over six feet in height, but somehow they made it work.

Kurama nodded in understanding, a slight smile playing at his own lips. It was disgusting, really, the way she hovered next to Kurama like a magnet, like she could barely control herself, and the way her eyes slid down his body. Hiei felt the bile rising in his throat, suddenly extremely pleased that Ashley didn't do that shit.

Ashley. The Devil's hair reminded him of her. She had blonde hair as well, braided in places, but completely shaved on one side of her head. Maybe they weren't actually very similar.

"You," she called behind Kurama, directing her attention to Hiei. If he was lesser of a man he would have squirmed beneath her gaze. It was as if she was looking through him, and even as he stood there, allowing himself to be captive to her guards, she was assessing him of his weaknesses. "Do you truly trust us so little?"

Hiei remained silent, and Hana's smile grew; she pressed a memory into the power of his Jagan, manipulating what he saw within her mind, and suddenly that was all Hiei could see, having to focus to see all five of her squad members at the same time.

The memory was drenched in blood lust and revenge, and betrayal of the deepest kind. The man that slept before her was older, or perhaps she had been younger. His throat bare as he slept in trusting peace.

She bound him in the strands of her demonic energy, sucking his own energy from him, and filling her. It was overwhelming and as she rode the high she got from the power flowing into her, she bent over his still-sleeping form.

"Tsukasa. Wake up, my love."

As Tsukasa's eyelids fluttered open and took Hana's face in, he muttered a groggy, "Hana, what?"

"I just wanted you to know," her words started off soft, hesitant almost, as if she was admitting something that she felt guilty about. That quickly changed, and her voice hardened: a promise, "that you will pay _dearly_ for plotting against my family."

It was then that he realized he was bound and began struggling, but Hana quickly shoved a blade into his side, the man screaming in agony.

"This is only the beginning, my love."

The memory jumped away, toward a dark room in a cottage, somewhere in the Terasu Forest, the wooden floors soaked in blood: a torture room.

"Dramatic," Hiei finally replied. As much as he, himself, loved fighting and spilling his enemy's blood, torture was a different method, one that twisted his stomach. Her smile only grew.

"You aren't going to fight us on this, this time are you?"

Hiei knew what she meant - last time he had unsheathed his sword and tried to cut down the guards. Hana had stepped in and calmly bound him with her demonic energy. He'd never felt anything like it, but his own energy seeped out of his body and through the energy binds she held, leaving him weak and drained.

He merely glared in response. The Devil didn't deserve an answer if he could avoid it.

She smirked, as if she knew the exact path his mind had taken. "We have our answer, then. Let's move."

They covered Kurama and Hiei's heads with a black cloth, which also acted as an effective blinder - it didn't let their demonic energy wander to discover where they were taking them. The Terasu forest, outside of Tourin, was a myth. Only the people who searched for the forest made it, and most of the time they were cut down by the border guards before they ever even saw a tree.

The only exception they made was for the warriors that flocked to them. Yusuke, after meeting the King and his son, Koichi, had left them effectively in charge of Tourin, as second in command in a way, and the demons within the territory loved them anyway.

They were a strong family, seeped in tradition and beloved by their tribe. Of course they made for the next best leaders behind the official king of the region.

The journey to the village took time. Maybe half a day, or perhaps a full one. They were running until Hiei's stomach started to growl, and just as he was about to complain that they stop unless the Devil was trying to kill them, Hana made the call for them to slow.

Finally. Of course, the black covers were not removed until Kurama and Hiei had been led through the village and to the bonfire that raged in the center. As their eyes adjusted to the light, they had to squint. Hundreds of torches burned the night away. What seemed like a celebration had stopped, the villagers and warriors circling around Hana and her squad with the two boys in the center. The king had stood from his seat, dressed in full ceremonial garb, his hand outstretched for quiet.

"My daughter," he spoke, his words slow and deliberate. "Why have you brought these detectives to us?"

 _Ex_ , Hiei thought, but didn't say.

Hana stepped around them and approached her brother, with whom she greeted with a kiss on each cheek. "They say they have news from Spirit World. And other chores to take care of." Her brother, Koichi, greeted her in the same way, and stepped back to take a look at them.

Side by side it was obvious that Koichi and Hana were twins. Same height, same build, even though Koichi was definitely male and Hana was definitely female. Same nose and cutting green eyes. Same haughty air around strangers.

Although Koichi was first born and inheriting the throne and Hana was second born and assassin for the King. Koichi was easily read, whereas Hana only let you see what she wanted you to. He was casual and carefree where Hana was serious and strict.

They looked alike, but they were nothing alike.

The most infuriating thing, though, was that no one seemed to have the same general unease with Hana that he did. What was obvious to Hiei was a far-off notion to everyone else.

"You must feast with us!" The king was saying, his arms wide. "Yoko and the Jaganashi. You bring good things to our village."

Hiei glared at the king. Dinner would be fine, but feasting with other people was the last thing he wanted at that moment. Dinner, and then a place to rest.

Kurama bowed low. "It would be our pleasure. Tomorrow we shall take care of things."

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

It did end up stretching into a long night. Food wasn't even served until past midnight, and once Hiei had made himself a plate, he had stolen away to the forest surrounding the celebration. It was in the early hours before the sun rose that the last fire finally burned down to embers.

Which meant no one else would be awake until close to noon. Wasting an entire half of a day.

He wasn't about to sit around doing nothing. To pass the time, he instead mapped his way through the forest, noting where things were located in relation to the village: a task that was impossible with the Devil around.

Close to mid-day Kurama pressed a thought to his Jagan. Hiei had kept it activated at its lowest level, just to keep an extra sense on the village. He knew Kurama's mind well enough by now that it was easy for the fox to reach out with his spiritual energy and connect with Hiei's.

" _They're waking up for the day. Be back at the reception hall by noon._ "

The reception hall was a grand place. The village itself wasn't modest at all. They had buildings made of clay and other materials from the forest. The king's mansion was the grandest building, and in the center, close to where the bonfire was held the night before. The ceilings were high, and there were ornate items inside the building: a grand chair carved from wood, windows that sported colored glass and intricate details to create pictures within them, tiled floors, and candles that lined the walls in candelabras.

Within demon world, at least, this was the place of myth. Few places, even in the cities, were this decorated for fear that bandits would come and pillage. The Terasu Forest did not have that problem, what with the guards that always kept watch over the borders.

A long table followed one wall of the reception hall, ornately carved, and charts and maps covered the wall space above it. Kurama was already sitting at this table, discussing something with the King and his son in hushed tones. The Devil leaned against the far wall, her knee bent and arms crossed over her chest. As she spotted Hiei enter through the wooden doors, a wide grin broke out over her features.

"You're with me today," she spoke, pushing off from the wall and walking to meet Hiei halfway.

"Like hell I am," Hiei growled, immediately on the defensive.

"Hiei," Kurama's even tone caught his attention. He'd stood from his seat, hands braced against the smooth wood of the table top. "I thought you would go with Hana to interrogate the operatives while I give the King the details from Spirit World."

It made sense, but that was the last thing Hiei wanted. It was less to do with being split up and more to do with having to spend the day with the Devil. With a low growl, he didn't bother answering, instead turning on his heel and leading the way out of the hall.

* * *

" _What the hell was that?_ " Hiei roared, pushing Hana up against the walls of the cells. Her guards brandished their weapons at him, but she waved them off, his forearm pressing against her windpipe.

"It's not like we _knew_ , Jaganashi," she spit out, her eyes narrowing, as her voice grew dangerous. "We searched their persons as instructed by our _lovely_ Spirit World, but nothing stood out. Nothing that could be taken as a possible weapon."

"And trust me," she tried to gulp for air. "We know of all their little tricks these days. They're… mimicking the humans too closely for us to be… completely… blind…"

The interrogation was less of an interrogation and more of a mass suicide.

As soon as Hiei was brought to their pitiful cells, they all said the same, "One World. One Life. One Peace," and died, immediately.

Three. There had been _three_ chances to get information and they'd died as soon as Hiei had approached.

They'd fallen unconscious as soon as they said the phrase. And before the guards could even fumble with their keys and unlock the gates they were foaming at the mouth.

Further inspection showed a broken tooth at the back of their mouth. For each of them.

"Well you apparently don't know them that well," Hiei spat. "They had _something_. And you and your tribe of _heathens_ should have known better." Hiei stepped back, releasing Hana, who nearly collapsed against the wall in a coughing fit. He didn't stay to watch her guards rush toward her or wait for her to retaliate against him. She was nothing after all. The Devil could report back that she'd allowed the rebels to suicide.

He turned away from it all, escaping back to the forest and away from the Devil's incompetence until it was time to leave. Kurama likely wouldn't want to leave until tomorrow, so Hiei was free to find a clearing and blow off his anger.

* * *

Night fell soon enough, long after he'd blown a crater into the ground and cleared a few trees, dripping sweat, and huffing in exertion.

Incompetence. That's all this was. Any experienced fighter worth half their salt would have done a thorough search of the rebels.

But teeth! To hide a drug in their own teeth. That wasn't something he'd ever seen previously, especially not among demons. That sounded like a disingenuous human trick.

So close. He'd been so close to entering their minds and finding out exactly what it was that the Legion wanted. What their end goal was, what to expect, where to find their headquarters. Maybe even who their leader was.

So far all they knew was that the Legion created chaos wherever they went - whether that was in their early days in Demon World, or in their new home, in Human World. They created chaos and fighting always broke out. It was like playing a game of chance, trying to figure out where the Legion was going to strike next. There was no pattern that he nor Kurama or anyone else could see. It was random, which meant that they were always a few steps behind.

So close. He'd been so close to getting answers. And again the knowledge had slipped through his fingers.

With that thought a few trees lit aflame, burning bonfires of his own until he was able to burn off that anger, too.

Late at night, he'd gone back to the edge of the forest, where the village started, and saw that they were celebrating again. Maybe they had a festival going on, but didn't they realize they were at war? War raged just beyond the safety of their precious forest and they acted like it was lifetimes away.

Scoffing, he headed back into the forest. Not yet tired, Hiei circled the village, slipping between the trees and following the sounds of the forest, just for something to do.

Kurama was likely enjoying his time with Hana. They knew each other from when he was Yoko and the Devil had been a much less confident woman. She'd tried to cut him down or some nonsense, and after a few centuries they were what they were currently. Whatever that was. It didn't matter to Hiei, really, as long as the Devil did what she was supposed to and didn't fuck up.

The light was the first thing he saw, a light green glow through the trunks of the trees.

Cautiously, Hiei slipped through the shadows until he came to a small clearing. Shallow pools of water dotted the clearing, the water clear, and the plants beneath the water creating the bio-luminescent glow. It was peaceful here, but completely silent. Even the drum beats and music and laughter that he could hear from the village had vanished. As he stepped between the trees it was like all sound had been muted.

He hadn't found this place earlier in the day. He'd been all through the forest, even a mile out from the village at any given time, and he'd never found this place.

It was like it had just appeared, but that was physically impossible.

"It's been awhile since I've seen one of those."

The voice to his right was sudden and soft, and it made Hiei nearly jump out of his skin.

It had been a long time since someone was able to sneak up on him. But this old woman had done it effortlessly.

She appeared to have no demonic energy or spiritual energy for that matter; nothing radiated off her, and as she walked away from him, around one of the pools, she made no noise, either. Not even a footfall against the moss and lichen. It was possible that she was merely hiding her energy, but even then it was usually obvious with anyone if they leaned toward the demonic or spiritual side of the spectrum.

She pointed to his forehead. "What did you give up to receive that?"

Hiei, however, ignored her question. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled with a slight shake of her head. "Why does it matter?" She was old, her skin a dark bronze even with the green pools reflecting light off of her. Her white hair was tied up in a bun, and she walked with her hands behind her back, her shoulders slightly hunched from years of life.

Hiei frowned. "What is this place?" He still could not hear the celebration going on. He should be able to hear it. They weren't that far from the edge of town, after all.

"It is a place of knowledge and healing. I am merely the guardian."

Well at least she'd answered his questions, but still, he didn't have the patience to talk to some crazy old lady who lived in the forest and cared for pools of water. Turning, she said, "I know who you are, Hiei Jaganashi," he paused, his back turned. "You are one of the four most tied to the Event. Your future will not be easy. The girls are at the center, and they will have the hardest time. One already is. But you must find her and the other. Time is relative, and so is death. There are many ways to die, so do not let that discourage you."

"What," Hiei began, turning back to her, his question sharp. "Are you babbling about?"

She had stopped walking and turned to face him while his back was turned, now on the other side of one of the pools. Her hands still clasped behind her back, she spoke with chilling confidence, her voice full of promise. " _We_ _'ve been here before._ "

A chill rose from the bottom of his spine to the base of his skull.

A beat of silence between them, then, "Find the two others and you'll have your answers."

Frustration thrummed through him, pushing the chill away. "I don't want answers-"

"Yes, you do," she cut him off. "Or you will. What is time, really, but a construct of human imagination? And yet it governs all things. Perhaps it was originally a creation of the universe. Who really knows?"

Now she really was babbling. He turned. "When you're ready for answers come visit Amma again," she called out to him, but he kept walking.

* * *

Yomi was next on their trip, and Kurama did all the talking, again. Answering Yomi's questions even though he was obviously uncomfortable at times. That was another relationship of Kurama's that Hiei would never understand.

They stayed with Yomi for two nights before the portal opened that would take Hiei on to Alaric. Kurama, however, was headed back to human world. He'd apparently missed too much work and was anxious to return. It would also allow Ashley to go home, since she'd been staying with Yukina and Kuwabara for the past five days. Kurama being in human world meant that he could react immediately if something set off his seeds.

"Do you want me to tell Ashley anything?" Kurama asked, pausing Hiei halfway between Gandara and Alaric.

He snorted in derision. "I thought you knew me better than that," he said and stepped on through the portal.

It closed behind him, cutting him off from Kurama, as he took in Alaric.

Truly, it hadn't changed much at all since the last time he'd checked in with Mukuro. Even with the mounting tensions in human world, and the skirmishes that often broke out throughout the territory, the full force of the civil wars that the rest of demon world was experiencing hadn't yet reached Alaric. Whether that was effort on Mukuro's part or the scope of the conflict was yet to be determined. Even though Hiei had been roped to become a mediator without volunteering to do so, he still had responsibilities in this territory, so he set off, traveling on foot, through the various villages to check in with Mukuro's leaders in each town. The ones who kept everyone in line and reported back to her. Any dispute he needed to take care of, he did, swiftly, and by the middle of the following week he had reached Mukuro's.

He was taken to her hall, a full meal set before him as Mukuro joined him at her table, leaning back in her chair. "Hiei. You look well."

"What intel do you have?"

"Aren't you in a hurry to cut to the chase," she chuckled, not moving from her position in her chair.

"Mukuro," Hiei began, pausing only momentarily. "I'm tired, and I've been fighting with your citizens for five days. I want to hear your intel."

Her organic eye scrutinized him before finally asking, "Ever heard of an Oblivion demoness named _Navia_?"

Hiei shrugged. "Never heard of her," he said as he began to eat.

"You wouldn't though." He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Why would Mukuro lead with that question if she'd just shoot him down a moment later? "She's from a small village on the outskirts of Alaric originally, but has kept her head low, building followers and using a certain deceased leader to toy with her enemies."

It took Hiei only a moment to think of who Mukuro might be talking about. "Shono. She manipulated him?"

"Seems that way. She built the Legion and disappeared from the limelight until you took him out all those years ago."

If this Navia was as manipulative as Mukuro made her seem, how much of Shono's original actions had been his own and how much had been Navia's? He filed that thought away for later.

"Do you have a description of her? Anything I can use?"

"No more than what I gave you." Mukuro crossed her legs at the knees. She linked her fingers and looped them over her knee. "She's barely more than a whisper. A legend here. It's amazing my spies heard that much at all." Which really said how much Navia was committed to flying under the radar. If not even Mukuro's spies could pick up Navia's movements, then no wonder he'd been struggling for so many years in human world.

Mukuro was easy enough to read. Especially since he'd joined her over a decade ago. She was telling the truth, and it bothered her. But of course it would. Mukuro prided herself on knowing things and taking out threats as soon as they presented themselves. Takayo's death was seven years ago, and the Legion had been gaining traction for even longer since then. For so long that Navia had been out there, Mukuro had never known. Or at least, she'd never known her name, even though the Oblivion was originally from Alaric.

It was frustrating to the demonness King, and Hiei certainly understood. Oblivion. More often than not, _that kind_ often stuck together. Mako was likely part of them, too, even though his Jagan hadn't picked up on anything that night in the alley. And to be so close to Ashley. He would kill him.

The fork in his hand bent under the pressure as he clenched it in his fist.

"You're distracted. How very unlike you." Hiei's gaze flickered up to meet Mukuro's, his thoughts faltering under her observation. "What is it, I wonder?"

"It's nothing for you to concern yourself with," Hiei muttered, breezing past the issue with ease. "I can use the intel at least. Anything else?"

Mukuro continued watching him, saying, "Just one. How fond are you of the barrier staying intact?"

Hiei waited for the punchline.

"You're not joking."

"Of course I'm not. They're working on it in the former Detective's territory. I doubt the Devil Princess even is aware. We can arrange a strategy to have the threat removed if the child-playing-adult in the next world allows it." Koenma. He wasn't fond of him or his recent decisions, either. She shifted. "You know as well as I what could happen if the barrier comes down. I am not eager to see what chaos would ensue if it was destroyed. For both demon world and human world. Demon world is already divided as it is."

Hiei's brow quirked. "The Legion," Mukuro explained. "Although it should be called Navia's Legion, not the Shono Legion. There's talk of uniting human world and demon world."

"How big is this 'talk'?" Hiei asked, food forgotten on his plate.

"From what I know, I would say that it's the very thing that the Legion is working toward."

It didn't make sense, what she said. The Legion was creating chaos and bringing death, but combining the two worlds? The only thing that supported that was Mukuro's information that they were tampering with the barrier. He trusted her, but why hadn't the Devil or the King mentioned it to him or Kurama? Kurama, if he knew, if the King had told him during their private audience, had been amiss in mentioning it to Hiei.

"Now your turn. What brings you to Alaric that Spirit World wanted so desperately for me to know?"

Hiei recounted the three items, much less diplomatically than Kurama had done it, and not bothering to read of the parchment, but he and Mukuro had reached an understanding about themselves years ago.

Mukuro was less than impressed, an almost bored expression taking over her features. "Spirit World has been saying this for years; why send you on this errand if there is no news?"

Rather than letting Hiei try to answer her rhetorical question, she continued, "They just want to appear strong," funny, that was the same think Koji had called them out on. "They want to appear like they have this under control when they are no father into what's going on than they were four years ago."

It didn't take someone like Kurama to connect the dots of where Mukuro was headed.

It wasn't like Hiei could do anything, though. Spirit World was always posturing, even back during Yusuke's detective days. They would often pretend like they had a clue and cover things up when they didn't want to be found out.

He continued eating his meal in silence. It was only toward the end where he finally stood and reached for his sword leaning against the table that Mukuro finally said what was on her mind. "But I am curious. You're unnaturally distracted. You know I'll find out."

Ever the persistent one. But that was one subject he would keep to himself. Mukuro, as close as he was to her, he was positive that she would not be approving.

" _Goodnight_ , Mukuro."

* * *

"So who is Ashley Lynn Wright?"

It had been two days. Two days of taking care of what Mukuro asked of him. Now, they were sparring in one of the lower-level rooms in her castle, and had been for the last several hours. Mukuro rarely liked to spar with anyone except him, she'd told him once.

Her name tossed so casually from Mukuro's lips made him falter and Mukuro landed a blow to his side, sending him into the pillar several dozen feet away.

"How do you know of her?" Hiei ground out, pushing himself to his feet.

Mukuro merely chuckled, a light smirk on her face. "Really, Hiei, I thought you knew me better than that."

His glare bit through her, but she paid it no mind, waving him off like he was being an angsty teen. "I sent my spies to human world to see what has you so distracted," she said matter-of-factly, like she couldn't believe he was actually making her explain this. "She was fairly easy to find. Currently staying with your sister and her husband, usually lives with her dog in a flat in the only high-rise apartment building in the city, where you usually stay, too. She's originally from England and is in Japan to teach-"

"Fine! I shouldn't have questioned you." Hiei finally cut her off, shoving his hands in his pockets and approaching her again, cautiously. Were they going to continue their sparring match? Or were they effectively finished? "Dion threatened to come after her."

"Well," Mukuro began, staying a far enough distance away from Hiei that he was positive they were done sparring. "From what we know of Navia, my guess is she's using Ashley to distract you from something else."

"I doubt that's-"

"Isn't that what she did with Shono?" She cut him off, steamrolling over his objection. "Use him to lure you to Takayo's and then appear with the Legion in Human World? I think that's very much like her, or what we know of her, at least. Don't underestimate her, Hiei."

Hiei clenched his jaw. Even if he defended himself and told her that the last thing he was doing was underestimating the Legion, Mukuro wouldn't believe him.

After a moment, she continued, "Don't let the human girl distract you. Love is all nice, but don't forget about the bigger picture. Will she fit there, too? If not, maybe the Legion has a point and she needs to go. Especially if she's just going to distract you. Humans don't belong in demon world, anyway. What are you going to do when all of this is over?"

Again, he didn't answer. He'd thought of that, briefly, a few times. Humans couldn't stay within demon world for long; the air effected them and if left untreated they would die. And he doubted Ashley would be okay with wearing a breathing mask for the rest of her life.

And what about him living in human world full time? No. That was preposterous. Humans were weak and self-absorbed. They could never see the bigger picture and settled without ever really trying to better themselves. To stay in human world wouldn't be right for him either. Being there, it felt like a part of him was missing.

But where did that leave them?

He remained silent, his scarlet eyes flashing - a warning to Mukuro not to push the subject.

She shrugged and turned to head out of the room. "I have a mission for you. Out in the borderlands," she said, changing the subject. "A war is about to start out there - much too much for my leaders to handle - and I refuse to let that woman's ideologies corrupt my territory. Handle it for me, will you?"

It was less of a question and more of an order.

"No!" Hiei immediately refused, the word echoing around the cavernous room. "I have to-"

"You have to… what?" she asked, turning slowly back around to face him, her question dangerous. "Get back to your precious human? She's _fine_. My spies made sure of it yesterday evening. If she can't handle being on her own for more than a day, I can tell you right now, Hiei, you'll get bored of that quickly. I'm surprised you're not already bored. I've never known you to like weak things."

* * *

Reaching the borderlands was a full day trip, if sprinting at full speed. Handling the issue would likely take more than a day, which by the end of the second day should have been his return trip to human world. He'd promised Ashley, but Mukuro would hold him to the fire if he backed out. He was still her right-hand, even if he spent most of his time in human world and mediating. That was the one thing in all this mess that hadn't changed, and he was grateful, but it still presented the conflict.

Ashley would understand. She always understood.

Four days after he left for the borderlands he finally was able to get back to the castle. Two days past when he told Ashley he'd be back.

But maybe Mukuro was right. If Ashley couldn't defend herself, why was he trying, really? No, she shouldn't have been dragged into his issues with the Legion, but that was months ago. Yes, she had that little power that had exploded her light, but how deep would that go? And would she even want to try to master it?

And how would she react when she was faced with demon world in general? She seemed to do fine with her students, but would that last? Or would she run back to the comfort of her world first chance, as all humans ultimately did?

Maybe it would be better for them both if he ended it. He'd toyed with the idea before, but she'd always pestered him back.

Anger and frustration rose quickly. It wasn't like he was a _pet_ , who was supposed to watch over her and protect her.

He scoffed. Mukuro was right. He was frustrated. And boredom would only come after.

Ashley's smile flashed behind his gaze, glazed over in his thoughts. He faltered.

But, even with all of that, she was-

"My-my Lord Hiei!"

Hiei's gaze snapped up, jerking him out of his thoughts. One of Mukuro's henchmen, Akihiko, approached him. He was a lumbering guy. Four arms. The strength of a hundred men. He had the confidence of a toddler, though, especially around Hiei.

Akihiko didn't wait for Hiei to reply. "It's Kurama. He's been trying to reach you for the last day."

Hiei's glare could have melted stone. He had just traveled all the way out to the borderlands and back in under four days. That trip usually took a week, easy, and he had to deal with arguing factions at the same time. He was tired, hungry, covered in a few demons' blood, and his clothes were torn. What he really wanted, more than anything at that moment was to be left alone. This guy, however, had interrupted him at the most inopportune moment. " _Get on with it_ ," he growled.

"Th-that girl of yours," Akihiko began slowly, still stammering like a fool. "The human one? They can't find her. He says she's been taken, and requests you return to human world at once."

Hiei's stomach dropped as his blood ran cold. He didn't need to ask who Akihiko was talking about.

 **-** _ **End of Chapter Twenty-Three**_ **-**

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUUUUNNNN. Come on; it had to happen at some point. I** **'ve been building up to this for the last fifteen chapters. Aaaaaand we also meet Navia! Well, not meet-meet. Not yet, not really. But at least we know her name.**

 **Here** **'s one GIANT, MASSIVE THANK YOU to **_**kykygirly**_ **and** _ **WistfulSin**_ **for your** **multiple** **reviews. Oh my god they made me cackle in laughter and cry with joy. I** **'m so glad you're both loving the story so much! And jesus, but I'd be amiss not to say a massive thank you to** _ **Star Charter**_ **and** _ **Graphospasm**_ **for reblogging my chapter post on their tumblrs. Like OMG _Thank you!_ (silently low-key freaking out). I** **'ve noticed since then the chapters have been getting more hits so I just wanted to let everyone know I have a tumblr,** _ **o-dragon05**_ **, where I post things about this fic and will post chapter updates and mood boards. Like I did yesterday where it got late and I couldn** **'t finish this chapter by yesterday so I posted a note on my tumblr. I often forget to update my profile here, so that's the best place to get up-to-date information.**

 **Speaking of which, I** **'m so sorry this is late! I got about three-quarters through it and came to Friday and I had no motivation to work on it at all and Saturday I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off and dealing with a headache. Thank you for your patience with me! Chapter 24 will be out on June 16:** _ **Prisoners of Our Own Making**_ **. Thank you for patiently waiting for my chapter updates every 2 weeks. I so want to go back to updating every week, but with life right now, that** **'s just not feasible. My dad was affected back during Hurricane Harvey, getting about 8 inches of the floodwaters in his home. Long story short, his mom (my grandmother) died 6 months previously so he's trying to juggle handling her estate, fixing his house while trying to get what he's owed from the insurance company, who shorted him thousands of dollars, the possibility of losing the house, and a problem dog that he's trying to re-habilitate. I go help him every week that I can, usually going consecutive weeks in a row. So, thank you for your patience with me.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	24. Prisoners of Our Own Making

**Content Warning: death by electrocution**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four

 _Prisoners of Our Own Making_

"Can't he go any faster?" Hiei hissed through the receiver of the comm device Mukuro had set up in the communications tower. It wasn't the same as the humans' phones, but it did the same job.

"We're trying everything we can," Kurama replied on the other end. His tone was neutral, but his voice was strained.

"Where's Kuwabara?" he demanded. "He can do it faster than the kid." He'd been pacing the length of the tower for the last three hours. After the first nine where he bottled up his anxious energy, and accidentally punched Akihiko in the face when he'd interrupted Hiei at an inopportune moment, pacing was the next outlet for his anxious frustration. Now, everyone left him alone; he had the entire tower alone, except for Mukuro who watched him from her chair with a curious gleam in her eye. "And the barrier doesn't close until Friday. Bjorn must just be doing it wrong. We were foolish to allow ourselves to think he could be useful in important situations."

Kurama's tone hardened. "Hiei, I can assure you we're doing everything we can. It's like the barrier is locked. And Kuwabara is at the piers, along with Yusuke and Yukina. We didn't know Bjorn would have this issue."

Hiei felt a pang of guilt. Kuwabara was helping at least. Still, the sooner he could get there, the sooner this scare would be over.

As soon as he had the thought: the thought of finding Ashley using the power of the Jagan, his stomach twisted uncomfortably - a reaction he hadn't anticipated in the slightest.

Surely he'd used the Jagan to find Ashley before, right?

But now that he had thought about it, he couldn't remember using it on her at all. Or even entering her mind, for that matter. If he searched for her, would he even recognize her mind?

"I believe this is yours, Hiei," Mukuro said simply from her chair. Turning, he saw her hold out his mother's tear stone, the one he gave her all those years ago.

He didn't take it. Mukuro laid it on the table between them.

"I don't need it anymore," she continued. "And I believe it may have a new owner."

He'd decipher what she meant later. Instead, he pocketed the necklace without a word and turned back to the receiver.

She continued, even though his back was turned, "I meant what I said the other day, however. Remember that."

* * *

It was another two and a half hours before Bjorn managed to get any sort of portal constructed, even with help from Genkai. "Come through quickly, Hiei," Kurama said. Bjorn's hold on the barrier was tenuous and liable to snap at any moment.

Without a backward glance at Mukuro, Hiei sprinted through the portal at full speed. They'd never exchanged goodbyes, not in the traditional sense at least, both knowing they'd see the other again soon enough, and this visit wasn't about to start a new tradition.

Before he was completely through, the portal slipped and closed, and he felt the immediate severance of his scarf by the slight tug at his neck.

His scarlet glare at Bjorn left no room for mistakes. Bjorn, who was collapsed on the ground, panting. Even Genkai looked worse for the wear. A weariness filling her gaze that she rarely let anyone see.

"Ready?" Kurama asked, who stood just behind Hiei, his voice still strained.

Without so much as a nod, Hiei disappeared, sprinting ahead through the forest at a pace Kurama couldn't hope to keep up with, but he followed anyway.

' _Where is she? What do we know?_ _'_ He used the Jagan, open and blazing, the press the thought into Kurama's mind. Of the four, Kurama's mind felt the most familiar: he kept everyone at a distance, almost cold and bereft, but at the edges of his consciousness he kept his emotions for others.

' _Yukina narrowed it down to the piers and ship channel._ ' Kurama replied easily. Hiei could tell he was falling behind, and tried to keep his pace slower than his maximum so they could communicate before distance severed the link. It killed him to move this slowly.

' _Why Yukina?_ ' Hiei snapped. ' _I thought you said you_ _'d keep her out of this._ ' He'd specifically asked Kurama to keep her out of this.

' _She insisted; you try telling her no,_ _'_ Kurama replied, matter-of-factly. ' _Besides, it seems she_ _'s the only one who's really felt Ashley's energy besides you. She helped Ashley with it at the end of August. And with you stuck in Demon World…_ '

Hiei could put two pieces together. ' _I_ _'m going on ahead.'_

Kurama merely passed his acceptance between the mental link and Hiei retracted it, pushing his energy toward his goal instead, and he increased his speed tenfold.

* * *

Hiei opened his Jagan toward Tokyo as he quickly grew closer. The looming mass sprawled in all directions, but he ignored the hundreds of thousands of people all clustered together and focused his mind on the ship channel straight ahead; picking out Yusuke was easy. Half human, half demon, his energy and his mind within his energy stood out easily, screaming to be heard over the chaos that was Tokyo on a sweltering Tuesday afternoon.

Kuwabara had always been harder, even though he was psychically inclined. It had to do with the fact that Yusuke's mind was the most similar to his own, between the two.

Hiei followed Yusuke's mind like a beacon, coming in hot, and only slowed down as he got close. His energy wasn't raised, but he still extended the Jagan's power to encompass the entire shipyard, just in case something was off.

Two energies flickered from inside one warehouse. One, feeble and dying like an ember about to be snuffed, the other stronger, but weak. Neither posed a threat.

Yusuke, right outside the warehouse, barely flinched as Hiei dropped to the ground next to him. Immediately, Hiei was hit with the scene in front of him: a smell lingered outside the building that reminded him of death, but it was mixed with something else that he couldn't place. Yusuke was rubbing the back of his neck in front of the double wooden doors of the warehouse, and beyond, off to the side of the building, Yukina was doubled over and hurling. Kuwabara, looking green himself, held back her hair with one hand, his other comforting against her back.

"H-Hey, short stuff," Kuwabara greeted him weakly, attempting for humor even among the seriousness of the situation.

Hiei was about to haul off a reprimand to Kuwabara, but Yusuke's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "You need to see what's in there."

"Is she here?" Turning back to Yusuke, Hiei could immediately see that even the ex-Detective looked worse for the wear. Was it just the smell affecting them? He'd smelled death enough that while it wasn't his favorite scent and he would prefer to remove himself from any situation that involved it, it wasn't overly shocking.

Yusuke removed his hand almost as soon as he'd placed it on Hiei's shoulder, knowing full well what might happen to his hand if he left it there for too long. "She _was_."

Shoving the doors open, Hiei was met with the most obscene smell - like burned flesh. It had been decades since he'd last smelled anything like it. He'd once lost control of his own ability in the first few years of his life and killed a good number of the bandits that had been raising him. The smell had lived in his dreams for months afterward. Eventually the memory faded, into nothing more than a piece of his history. He was a fire demon, after all. The smells that came with burning were part of him, and they were as familiar to him as his own power.

But the smell had strengthened significantly from the scorching September day, especially being contained within the metal building behind closed doors. It was a mix of burning hair and burning, rotting meat. It was as if the meat had been left outside in the weather and elements for long enough that it had begun to fester. Beyond that, the pungent scent of sewage filled the spaces in between the burned flesh, making his eyes water and his throat tighten.

No wonder Yukina was puking. It bothered him, who was used to burned scents. Anyone else who didn't have the history with burned things would be useless against this.

The scent itself sent his instincts into full alert mode. The warehouse itself was filled with boxes, all opened, like whomever had put them here had come back for the items inside the boxes but left the boxes themselves. Chains were attached to the floor in places, and chain link fencing completely separated parts of the warehouse from other parts.

Trying to breathe shallowly and think about the smell as little as possible, Hiei followed the scent to the back of the warehouse where it was strongest - it flipped his stomach - and approached the two prone forms lying across the concrete floor.

He easily found the source of the rotting meat smell.

One of the demons' skin was blackened and swollen in places. His body still smoked, small tendrils of it drifting lazily toward the ceiling. As Hiei got closer, he could see the forked and darkened skin that the electricity had made contact with as it tore through his body. It looked like he bore scars made from electricity itself.

The other was less damaged, but still bore the same electricity marks across his skin. His was mottled in places: black, green, purple stood out starkly against his fair skin, as he struggled to stay alive.

It was obvious that Ashley had done this work. Ashley. His Ashley. The power to take down two demons twice her size had risen to the surface and she'd had the courage to kill her enemies where they stood.

Pride and affection overtook him as he smirked. "Bad day?" he asked the demon still struggling for life. The other had already died.

The demon couldn't speak, and could barely breathe. His entire body shook as he tried to lift his head. Hiei had the urge to kill him, and unsheathed his sword, his stare unflinching from the demon.

A freezing hand landed on his wrist, grip like a vice.

One look over his shoulder told him that Yukina was behind him, hair tied back, and gaze sharp as ice. She still had a pallor to her skin, and it was obvious the stench was making her stomach turn again, but she was there, fighting every instinct to turn around.

The question must have shown in his face - his innocent sister, there beside him, staring at the demons on the ground in utter hatred. Who was this girl - no, woman - she'd become? Didn't she want to turn around? She shouldn't be there, shouldn't be seeing this.

"I've seen worse," she said simply, throwing his hand back and away from the wounded demon. Surprise floored Hiei. Anger laced through her entire body, making her stiff but purposeful. "Let me save this one so he won't die and I'll go with you to find her."

"Let him die; he's not worth your effort," Hiei spat instead.

Yukina glanced up at him beneath her teal bangs, a look of complete apathy. "I shouldn't have to tell you that he might be an excellent source of information."

"Now you sound like Kurama."

"That's because Kurama is usually right," Yusuke's voice appeared behind him. Kurama, in question, beside him, emerald gaze watering but narrowed against the stench and a cloth pressed against his nose and mouth.

Yukina worked quickly, Kurama taking over after a certain point to take him back to Genkai's so she could join Hiei. Once they reached outside, however, Kuwabara now tossing _his_ cookies, Hiei turned away from Yukina. "You should stay here," he insisted, and disappeared, leaving Yukina behind.

He slowed once he reached a rooftop a few buildings over. The level of frustration that radiated from Yukina's place on the ground was enough to build trepidation, but he quickly forced that thought away. He had to find Ashley.

He released the Jagan's power so that it encompassed the entire shipyard, once more. He could feel Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara behind him, and Yukina approaching his building from the ground. Hundreds of workers kept to themselves several blocks over.

Ashely likely hadn't gotten very far, especially since this was the first time she'd really used her power. The day was hot enough that it exacerbated the stench inside the warehouse, but that demon likely hadn't been dead for even four hours. Sure enough, he found an unfamiliar energy several blocks over, fluttering like a candle caught in a breeze. Warmth spread from the energy's center, like the sun on a winter day, and the energy still crackled from being used so intensely.

A small smile played at the corners of his mouth.

Mukuro had been wrong. When faced with the Legion, Ashley hadn't run, not really. She'd fought back and killed her attackers. Her energy still thrummed with a potential of power.

He quickly closed the distance between where he stood and where Ashley had hidden herself: beneath one of the docks, as far up under the steel as she could manage without being too cramped. She had fitted herself between the curve of the earth and the dock itself, legs pulled to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. Tears streaked sown her face, and her hair was a mess. A puddle of sick ran down the side of the rocky earth toward the sea just feet below. One wrong move and she'd land there herself.

Whatever Hiei had been expecting to see in her face, wasn't there at all. It was obvious she'd been crying, but he hadn't expected _how_ terrified her stormy eyes gave away when she finally realized how close he was to her.

"No. No. No-" she began repeating over and over, trying to scoot away from Hiei, and narrowly missing the puddle of sick.

But this didn't make sense with the scene back at the warehouse. She'd effectively cut down her enemies. Yet, here she was, crying like a child.

Hiei barely had time to register his confusion before another person showed up next to him. Yukina's flash of teal hair was all he saw before she surpassed him and approached Ashley carefully.

Even though Ashley was still backing away, Yukina stopped a few feet from her, and much lower on the incline, and reached out a hand toward Ashley. "Hey, it's okay; it's okay. You're safe."

Her voice was quiet and peaceful, like the first snowfall of the season, and immediately Ashley was calmer. Not calm, per se, but calmer. Fresh tears welled in her eyes. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Have you ever wanted to hurt us before?" Hiei asked, having not moved from his place outside the underbelly of the dock.

Ashley's lips pressed into a line, a look of worried nerves overtaking her tears. She adopted a far-away look, as if she was trying to remember if she'd ever wanted to hurt them.

Hiei rolled his eyes. The question had been more rhetorical than anything. "Come on; come out. You're fine."

"Hiei." Yukina's tone caught his attention and chilled him to the bone. "I'll handle this. You can go."

Hiei rolled his eyes and turned away, giving Yukina room to work. Barely, he overheard Yukina say, "I've been right where you are now, and I hurt someone…" before her voice faded out under a foghorn suddenly belting through the silence. Shipmen yelled back and forth to one another, and above him, gulls squawked, but otherwise it was silent, especially here at this dock. No ship was docked here. They were on the edges of the shipyard.

A light breeze ruffled his hair and carried his sliced scarf. Looking down, it was no wonder Ashley was terrified of seeing him. He still wore the blood of the demons he'd handled back in Alaric on his clothes. Grime and dirt had built up over his clothes and skin, as well; he likely looked terrifying.

He heard Ashley's voice behind him, and turned to see Yukina guiding Ashley out of the hole she'd found for herself.

A moment passed, where Hiei and Ashley merely took each other in, standing apart as they were. The moment passed, however, as Ashley left Yukina's side and closed the distance to Hiei.

Enemy demon's blood or not, she wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her face in his chest.

What… what was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to wrap his arms around her as well? Should he push her away?

That was his first instinct, actually, but seeing the sad sort of smile on Yukina's face before she turned away, squashed that notion.

Carefully, and slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, as well.

She was like a little package of lightning, all wrapped up in with cardigans and music. She had survived this on her own, and that was no small feat. Genkai had been right, though he hated to admit it: they needed to know what had awoken inside Ashley. When he'd tested her back in May at that park she hadn't shown any inclination toward the psychic realm. That was obviously false, though he wasn't sure quite how she'd managed to foil his attempts.

They'd figure that out later.

As he touched her, he could feel her energy reaching toward the surface, toward his own. Warmth seeking warmth. She was nearly thrumming with it. Again, the memory of what she did to those demons rose in his mind, and pride filled his chest for this little human.

* * *

He didn't let her hang onto him for long. Ashley needed food and sleep and Yukina immediately offered her place. "She's not going home. At least not tonight. She'll stay with us," she decided immediately, without consulting Kuwabara.

Not for the second time that day, Hiei noticed there was some sort of tension beneath her posture, and beneath her kind words. An unseasonable chill touched the air around her, but Hiei brushed it off. She was likely just worried over her friend.

Ashley's dog was already at the flat, and circled Ashley's feet, nearly exploding with excitement. She got all the way to the couch before collapsing and hugging Knox to her chest, tears streaming down her face again. She needed to clean up, not collapse emotionally.

"I'm going to run patrols." Hiei announced to Kuwabara, Yukina already setting a kettle on the stove to boil water.

"Hey, it's okay," Kuwabara immediately protested, although softer so that Ashley wouldn't hear him. "Yusuke's got that covered."

Hiei stole a glance at Ashley, who had looked up anyway, aware of their conversation. He looked away, again, determination gritting his teeth. "No, I'm going to run patrols to see what I can find… I have information from Mukuro."

He didn't wait for a response from Kuwabara, and didn't glance at Ashley again or he would have seen her face break into tears once more.

He was halfway down the street when he heard her footfalls behind him, but he didn't stop. He had someone to visit.

"Hiei."

Her voice, chilled as a blizzard in the dead of winter, stopped him in his tracks. _Danger!_ Screamed the shivers that fled up his spine. Instead, he turned toward her as she whispered a question that sounded like a promise, "How could you?"

Really, they were more alike when they were truly angry than any other time.

And seeing Yukina's anger reflected toward him was like staring death in the face.

He tried not to let it affect him. "What's that?"

Yukina, however, lit into him, "You drag her into this and then abandon her when she needs you. This isn't the same world as it was even ten years ago. I'd expect this from you then, but I didn't expect it from you now."

She was holding back. He could tell she was holding back. There was more she wanted to say. She had that same look that he had when he bit his tongue for the sake of others, and it killed him. Why did they have to be so similar? "What in the three worlds are you rambling about?" he asked instead.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "She wants for you to go to her, but she'll never admit it to you. Though, not that you would."

The accusation was scalding. "What's that supposed to mean?" Hiei growled, immediately on the defensive.

"Well, generally, when you're in a relationship, you care about the other person," she began. "You share when they hurt and when they're happy. And I know she wants that, but what do _you_ want? She just lost her friend, and then you were gone longer than you said you would be, and I'm sure she was wondering if you left her, and now she's been through this. Stop stringing her along, Hiei. Either commit or back off. You'd both be much happier one way or another."

Hiei stared at his twin, understanding finally dawning. "You've talked to her."

Yukina scoffed. "We're friends, Hiei. Of course we talk. More than you, apparently."

If it was anyone else he would have bitten their head off. He would have given them such a lecture that they would wish for Hell itself to swallow them whole. But it was Yukina, and he couldn't.

"Things have been busy," he tried instead.

"That's a poor excuse. Busy or not, you never should have left her alone to face all of this herself." She turned, arms still crossed over her chest, and started walking away, only to call over her shoulder, "I'm taking her to Genkai's. I don't care if you come or not."

"I'll come!" he called back.

Yukina stopped just outside the door to their apartment building and turned. When had she grown up? No longer was she the short, sweet, innocent young child that he'd finally met over a human decade ago. Now, she was taller, leaner, the weight of childhood had melted off of her and left a woman in its place. Her red irises snapped cold, and her teal hair was braided over one shoulder. She'd long ago traded in the kimonos she'd once worn for something more modern: jeans, t-shirts, and vests.

Seeing her there, arms crossed, anger radiating off of her in chilly waves, it made him wonder: had he changed, too? In ways that he couldn't see?

She pronounced each world individually, and with emphasis, bringing him back to the present: "I don't care."

* * *

He didn't leave for a long time after that. Even hours later as the afternoon descended into a sunset of purples and oranges he sat in the tree outside Yukina's flat and watched them. Watched Yukina and the oaf - Kuwabara - _cuddle_ on the western-style sofa, and watched Ashley take his bedroom that Yukina often made sure was ready for Hiei if he ever needed it.

Her hair was wet, and she was wearing some of Yukina's shorts and a t-shirt. She didn't settle down at first, instead going around to the different artifacts in the room and the closet, which was mostly bare, except for a few of his cloaks that he'd hung in the back. Hiei watched as she soundlessly took one from its hanger and brought it up to her face.

After a moment, she turned toward the bed, her dog waiting for her on it.

It took her a long time to lay down on that bed, but she eventually did, not even pulling the covers up over her form. Knox curled up behind her legs and she pulled Hiei's cloak to her, clutching it as if it was a lifeline.

He could see her tears from where he crouched, and revulsion overtook him, while a gnawing emptiness filled his chest. Here she was, this powerful being, able to take down enemies twice her size and power, and she was _crying_.

She was weak. How could he ever have felt pride for her?

But at the same time that he wanted to push her away, and leave and never have to look at Ashley again, something kept him in that tree. It was the desire to go inside and feel her against him. It was a desire to fight back against her enemies until she had nothing to cry about. He _wanted_ to protect her, even though she'd once said she didn't need protecting, but right now, it was obvious she did.

It was an emotion more powerful than the revulsion, which was more confusing that anything he'd ever experienced.

Instead, he did the only thing he knew to do. Hiei fled from the tree, disappearing into the burgeoning night.

* * *

Genkai's was the first stop. She'd called in Botan to help heal the demon who'd been injured, but even after a few hours of healing, the demon still hadn't made it.

"He was burned internally too badly," Botan said outside the shrine. Hiei didn't want to go in and wake everyone and cause a fuss. "I did everything I could, but it wasn't enough. There was too much damage."

There was that weird pride for Ashley again, filling him like hot air.

He ignored it and pressed on. "Did he say anything before he died?" He kept his distance. Now that the demon was dead and there was no way to read his mind - he cursed himself that he hadn't thought to do that while at the warehouse; _another_ waste of information - Hiei wanted to get whatever information Botan had to offer and then make a final stop at a certain Oblivion's house.

Mukuro had given him valuable information on Navia and the Legion, and he meant to use it as soon as possible.

"He was Legion," she shrugged helplessly. "That we know for sure. And he was mumbling something…"

When she didn't continue, Hiei prompted, "Mumbling something?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yeah, it was like he was asking for forgiveness. Something about not wanting to harm the girl – Ashley, obviously. He said something about…"

She trailed off again.

Hiei itched to shake her until she told him what she'd heard.

"It was something about it being a… a ploy? But I don't know what that means or how to make sense of it. Wait, Hiei!" She called out after him, but Hiei had already turned into the forest and let the shadows swallow him.

* * *

Emerging from the shadows, like a nightmare incarnate, eyes blazing like coals, Hiei closed in on Mako's hovel. He kicked down the door, not waiting to knock or for Mako to answer.

Hiei needed answers, and he needed them now.

Mako, who had been at the stove tending to a kettle, turned toward the intruder immediately, an obscenity flying from his lips.

Hiei immediately cornered Mako, shoving him against the wall and wrapping a hand around his throat.

"What do you know of the Legion?" Hiei roared. True fear shone in Mako's golden gaze.

"I-I know nothing!" He stammered.

That wasn't enough for Hiei. Not enough at all. Hiei threw him to the floor, frustration eating at him. His hand remained wrapped around the Oblivion's throat, but he lifted his spiritual energy until Mako struggled beneath it.

"She was taken by the Legion! You know anything about that?" Hiei growled, leaning over Mako's body.

Mako forced out the words, "Why would I? She's my English teacher!"

"You're an Oblivion," Hiei hissed with deadly precision. "This Navia - the leader of all of the Legion - she's an Oblivion."

Mako's tone and facial expression hardened immediately. "What are you insinuating?"

Hiei scoffed. "Obviously the link is too obvious for you. I'm well aware of how you Oblivions stick together, like the parasites you are."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Jaganashi?" Mako seethed with anger, but his struggling ceased. "I would rather die than be associated with that _trash_. I've told you before and I'll tell you again: read my mind since you don't believe me. I don't want a fight."

It was incredible. This Oblivion taunting him like this. All Oblivions wanted to destroy. It was in their traitorous blood.

Hiei tightened his grip, holding Mako in place even as he didn't struggle, and forcefully entered his mind, even as Mako didn't present the usual mental barriers that most did. The force Hiei used, he realized, was too much. It wasn't needed.

Mako relented to him, staying still beneath Hiei's hand as Hiei pushed through Mako's memories.

He'd lived in the Forest of Fools, grown up there. Two parents, and a younger sister. Memories flashed by of him playing with her, and her teasing him. Her name was on the tip of his tongue… Fuyu.

Years sped by. Typical of parents raising their young: Teaching them to fight, to harness their energy, to hunt, and how to raise a family. A family of Oblivions. It was too much.

His sister always loved to fight. That much was clear in Hiei's mind as he swam through the memories. Mako hung back, always afraid to hurt the other person. He would, on occasion, if someone beat up his sister, and would often be reprimanded for it. Their parents taught them both not to use their Oblivion power unless absolutely necessary. "People will hate you for it. Your safety is far greater than proving someone wrong."

"You can kill in an instant. You can bring worlds down. But you have to decide for yourself if that's who you want to be."

Moving through his memories, several years passed. Mako discovered his deep love for his childhood friend, Natori. He was also an Oblivion, and he also confessed his love. Many years of happiness ensued, and eventually Fuyu found love, too. She was a young woman, barely out of her childhood years, and started a budding family of her own.

Mako had run an errand, just a quick errand, to return to find his village in ruins. This memory, unlike the others, was faded, like Mako had tried again and again to forget it. The others had been brightly colored, and filled with emotion.

He did not come back to find his family whole and smiling and welcoming him home.

His village had been destroyed, his family slaughtered, even Fuyu's child had passed to the next world.

Natori's eyes still were open, and Mako pressed them closed, sobbing openly. Natori was supposed to go with him that day, but he'd caught a cold and decided to stay home.

"Well, what do we have here?" a voice purred from behind him. He didn't react in time to dodge the blow to his stomach, or the immediate kick to the head that followed.

"Your parents chose wrong, but we'll offer you the choice," the leader of the group of five knelt in front of Mako as he struggled to sit up, his ears ringing and blood flowing into his eyes.

"Who are you?"

The leader grinned toothily. "We're the Shono Legion. I'm not Shono, obviously, but we decided it was time to offer your village a place in the future. If you join us, you can change the world. We're going to Human World, to make us a new home for ourselves."

Mako didn't even hear the man. His gaze was still on Natori's still form just beyond.

Anger rose quickly, and his power rushed from his body.

It was only a moment later that the very area they had been standing on was gone in a blast that felled the trees around them down to their roots and cratered the earth beneath them.

Everything was gone.

His destroyed village, his burning home, his parents, his sister and her family, even Natori. The Legion's lackeys were gone, too. Reduced to nothing but ash.

Hiei watched in horror as the devastation racked through Mako. Now, he didn't even have bodies to properly lay to rest.

His power had done this. His anger. Himself.

He didn't trust his power, and looked on it with disdain and distrust. He hated using it. He could only destroy with it. What little he'd created had been taken from him.

He was terrible.

Several years passed. Mako wandered Demon World alone. Spent some time with the Hitomi clan, even went as far as Alaric, before ending up somewhere in the middle of it all.

That's when he met Takeshi.

Takeshi was kind. He listened. He never resorted to violence unless to protect. He loved his family, even though he was countless miles away. In Takeshi, Mako found forgiveness.

And later, love.

It was a love that was different than his first love with Natori. With Natori it had been a deep sort of understanding. This person, this man, had known him since they were children. They knew all the intricacies of the other, and who they were down to their very core.

With Takeshi, it was more intense. He showed Mako who he could be, pulled it from him, and became like the very breath within his lungs. Takeshi was passionate, and rocked Mako to his core.

Hiei saw Takeshi clearly. These memories were bright and clear. The clearest ones Mako had since his family was destroyed. He was large in a way that matched his height - where he was tall, he was also wide and thick with muscle. His skin was blue like midnight, and a black ponytail hung at the nape of his neck. Small canines peeked from his lower lip. It was obvious to Hiei just by looking at him, even if it was through memories, that Takeshi was a Strongarm. In each of Mako's newly sharp memories was Takeshi. He was Mako's entire life. They loved one another in a way that made Hiei envious, and they built a home together.

For the first time since Natori had died, Mako had found peace.

That was easily shattered, however, when a messenger came for Takeshi, delivering the news that his brother had been forcibly taken by the Legion.

Mako watched, helpless as Takeshi packed his things to head to Alaric - where the Legion was rumored to be - and find his brother.

"Please don't go," Mako begged for the hundredth time, trying not to cry and failing miserably.

His tone must have caught Takeshi's attention, because he stopped, placed the items in his hand into his bag, and closed the distance between himself and Mako. Large hands enveloped Mako's shoulders, and Takeshi dipped his forehead to Mako's. "Come with me," he pleaded, voice deep. He'd been asking for the last two days. But Mako couldn't imagine leaving his home and possibly never coming back. He'd done that once. He vowed he would never do that again. Even if it was for Takeshi.

Mako shook his head, tears flying. "You know I can't."

"Can't or won't?" Takeshi asked, letting Mako go and stepping away. "Maybe this should be the end. I have to go, and you won't come with me."

Mako couldn't find words.

"I think it should be, Mako. This is my brother. I have to go."

He looked up at Mako, as if pleading for him to understand, but the hopefulness in his gaze eventually broke. "I know if you had a chance to save Fuyu you would. You'd do it in a heartbeat."

"This is different," Mako tried to argue, but Takeshi cut him off.

"It's not, though," he was already shaking his head and pulled the drawstrings for his bag for close. "It's not."

"You're going to be chasing after _terrorists_. The same ones that killed my family," Mako cried, praying for Takeshi to understand. "I cannot go with you and see you killed, too."

Takeshi's face cleared, a neutral expression that sent shivers of terror through Mako. "Then, this is goodbye." Takeshi passed by Mako without pausing, only stopping as he crossed the threshold.

A brief flash of hope sprung through Mako - had Takeshi changed his mind?

"Don't wait for me."

Mako collapsed to the floor in anguish. Takeshi left Mako there, unable to move, sobbing, until finally, his stomach forced him to move and find food.

The rest were a blur of memories of trying to survive each and every day waiting in their home. With every knock at the door Mako became excited that it might be Takeshi having returned home. But every season that passed was a reminder that Takeshi wasn't coming home.

Eventually, Mako gained the courage to leave their home, too, and didn't look back.

He snuck through one of the barrier pockets, long after Koji had become King, and dodged the authorities in Human World. He found his love for music on a cold winter's night as he shivered beneath a window in Tokyo. It was at that time that he swore he would do everything he could to create something so wonderful as well.

Hiei read his memories through to the very present, where he stumbled back off of Mako. The kettle on the stove was screaming with steam. Mako laid there for a moment longer, against the floor of his tiny efficiency, until he found the desire to sit up.

Hiei clenched his jaw, unable to look at Mako directly.

"I'm sorry."

"What was that?"

Hiei glared. "Don't be a smart-ass."

"I'm not with the Legion," Mako repeated.

Hiei turned away; he had to move. "I can see that."

Silence reined between the two. Once enemies. Now… Hiei wasn't sure.

"So what now?" Mako eventually asked, standing and moving to the stove, where he lifted the kettle and poured the water into a mug.

Hiei wasn't sure, really. What came now? His number one lead had turned out to never want to fight or use his power, or really know anything about the Legion.

Something was coming; he could feel that as surely as he knew the sun would rise the next day. The Legion was building to something, even if he still didn't know what. The demon Ashley had mostly killed had said it was a ploy. _What_ was a ploy? And what was the ploy covering up?

He shook his head, dismissing Mako's question and came back with one of his own. "If I'm ever not there," Hiei began, forcing the words out. "Will you protect her?"

Mako smiled a sad little sort of smile, still not looking at Hiei. He did, finally, meet Hiei's gaze as he lifted his mug, dunking a little packet of tea into the water.

"You must be desperate to ask an Oblivion who won't use his power for help," he said in a thoughtful sort of way. Paused. Then, "Of course I will."

 _ **\- End of Chapter Twenty-Four -**_

* * *

 **Big thank yous to the people who reviewed last chapter! Guest, WithLoveSammiV, Lestatsgirl15, and also WhatWouldValeryDo on chapter seven. I** **'m so glad you're all enjoying it! Thank you so much for your comments! Also, HOLY COW but I've reached _fifty_ favorites! THANK YOU SO MUCH. I never would have thought anyone would like the direction I've taken this fic in, especially when it started out as a 12-chapter fluff fic. I thought, "no one will read this; it's too niche." But thank you. Thank you so much.**

 **I also have to give a shout out to Extra TM Anakin Skywalker. I tried updating my Scrivener program yesterday (which I use to write this beast of a fic) and it updated, but then it wouldn** **'t open for me to use it. She was able to walk me through what I was doing and what I needed to do to fix the issue. If she hadn't, this chapter would have been much later.**

 _ **Please note**_ **! I have updated the posting schedule on my profile. Originally, I was going to take July off for Camp Nanowrimo. I** **'m still going to write during it but I'm also going to be posting. Until then, though Chapter 25 will come out in two weeks, on June 30.**

 **Also, I have to post some news that I** **'ve been putting off telling you all about. I've known this since chapter nine.** _ **DON** **'T PANIC**_ **: but I** **'m going to be splitting On Dating a Demon into three "parts." These parts, however, aren't really parts at all. They're the** _sequels_ **to On Dating a Demon. I'm one of those people who, as soon as I hit "complete" on a fic, I will never finish the sequel if it's part of a different document, or in this case, a different story on my profile. My brain goes, "Derp! It's complete! I'm done!" So I have decided to split the sequels apart within the fic by labeling them as Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.**

 **I know many, many, many people don** **'t like splitting fics into parts, but I hope you'll bear with me and my weird brain, anyway. In my head I don't refer to them as different "parts", but rather the stories that they are. I'm only calling them "parts" for FFnet's sake since I'll be leaving them within this same fic.**

 **I** **'ve been putting off telling you guys until we got closer, but with this chapter, we're ten chapters away from the end of story one, ("part one"), and I'll be mentioning it more as we get closer, so I wanted to give everyone a heads up. I've already got the titles to the different stories ("parts") figured out, but I don't want to release them yet because they're MAJOR spoilers.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	25. Shattered Stars

**Content Warning: alludes to rape during her memories under the Jagan**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Five

 _Shattered Stars_

Bright red numbers, bleary from sleep, swam into focus. _11:15 am_.

11:15…

That was an important number, wasn't it?

What day was it?

After another moment or two of drifting in the space between sleep and wakefulness, Ashley sat bolt upright, heart hammering like a jackhammer.

11:15 am. What day was it?

She didn't bother making herself decent before she raced out of the bedroom door, only to slide to an abrupt halt as the chatter outside her room came to an end.

"Good morning!" Yukina greeted her with a smile. The teal-haired demoness sat on the couch, legs crossed like a pretzel, and Hiei leaned against the far wall, scarlet eyes on Ashley with an expression she had no hope to read.

"What day is it?" the words tumbled out in a rush.

"What was that?" Hiei asked, quirking a brow.

"What day is it?" Ashley repeated, this time slower, and slowly realizing she was still in the t-shirt and shorts that Yukina had lent her.

Which meant that she was at Yukina's.

Because yesterday -

The moment that the memory befell Ashley, her mind numbed as her bottom jaw dropped slack, just a little, as her breath shuttered out. The memories started sweeping over her, the dark building, the demons, the feeling of being trapped-

"We'd like to take you to Genkai's." The phrasing felt like it was merely a suggestion. Yukina, however, stated it like it was a fact. It left no room for unwanted memories. "Kuwabara has gone to your boss, Dr. Ikeda, I think he said, and has worked out your absence for the rest of the week."

And that was all there was to it.

* * *

As much as she didn't want to go back to her apartment, Ashley knew she had to get supplies for Knox and clothes for herself. Hiei waited outside, keeping an eye out for any of the Legion, even though both he and Yukina had agreed that it would be foolish for them to strike so soon after their attempt three days prior. Yukina accompanied her in.

However, passing the park she'd let Knox sniff in, the park where she -

 _Don_ _'t think about that_.

Finally reaching her doorknob, she paused. The last time she'd locked her door she had no way to know what was going to happen. It had been routine.

Opening her door was the same. Nothing was out of place. There was still a pot of water waiting to be heated on the stove, thinking she'd be right back. The television was still turned to the BBC, and it was still playing. It had been Sunday, so her bed was still unmade. Lesson plans were waiting to be graded. Kurama's seeds still waited beside her phone charger. The seeds she'd forgotten to take with her.

The seeds that could have prevented all of this.

A knot started forming in her throat when Yukina said, "Just bring what you need. That cold front is supposed to start rolling in tonight, you know, so bring something warm, and maybe rain boots if you have them?"

Yukina didn't pause in the doorway to leave this place the mess it was. As Ashley stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living space, Yukina brushed past her, immediately going to the futon and making her bed, then going to the _kotatsu_ and stacking the papers.

"Yukina, I-" emotion overtook her, her eyes immediately swimming and her cheeks reddening, much to her chagrin. "I don't know-" She caught Yukina's attention immediately, and the teal-haired girl was next to Ashley in an instant.

"Hey, you're okay," she reassured Ashley. "Think about right now. What do you feel? What do you hear?"

What did she feel? She felt her cheeks, flushed with heat, she heard her own pathetic sniffles.

But Yukina waited. _What did she feel?_

The air conditioning had clicked on sometime while they were there. A light breeze brushed against her cheek. The BBC was still talking about a riot in Russia of Guardians.

Guardians - demons - the power - _NO._

Ashley focused on the air conditioning, on the BBC, on the slight chill that being so close to Yukina offered her, and she calmed.

"There you go," Yukina said, her voice soft.

"Can I… Can I ask you something?" Ashley muttered, wiping the tears that had fallen. "What happened to those… two…"

Yukina knew immediately what Ashley was asking, and she also knew the truth. The truth was not what she told Ashley, however. She'd worked it out with Genkai that morning, in fact. "They were injured enough that we sent them back to Spirit World to receive healing and punishment there." For Ashley to learn that she had killed them both, even if it was in self-defense, was not something that she needed to know. At least not right now.

Ashley accepted that without complaint, nodding and sniffling. "Now, what do you need? Where do you keep your clothes?"

Ashley showed her, and Yukina pulled some outfits from her closet made for warmer weather, a sweatshirt, and a few outfits for the cold snap they were supposed to get over the weekend. Phone charger and toiletries went into her bag, and then came the supplies for Knox. They locked the door and joined Hiei outside, as he mumbled a quiet, "Did you get lost in there?"

* * *

Ashley was silent for the entire journey. And a journey it was. The train ride alone was close to two hours, and then there was a half hour bus ride, and then a hike up a mountain. The only people that would be going all the way out here were people who wanted to be all the way out here. It was secluded and quiet; Genkai's land left to the throes of nature. Almost as soon as she stepped onto the land itself, noted as such by Yukina, she felt more at peace. Whether that was some magic contained in the land itself, or the majesty that nature contained on its own.

Isla would have loved -

 _Isla_.

Isla would never come out here. Ashley could never confess to Isla everything she'd been through and everything she felt, and she'd never be able to confess the guilt she carried. Isla would never be able to wrap her arms around Ashley and tell her it would all be okay. Isla would never be able to come visit her again. They would never be able to fight again-

 _What do you feel?_

 _What do you hear?_

Ashley forced herself to take a breath. Feel the air rushing into her lungs, feel how it filled her, and then slowly let it out again.

As she did, she tried to focus on the sounds beyond her. A woodpecker pecking, crickets chirping.

It was nearly five by the time they reached the stairs to go up to the large building beyond. An old woman stood at the top.

They climbed the stairs, until they stood next to her. "About time you got here." She said, and Ashley had the distinct feeling that she wasn't talking about the trip. The woman was shorter than Ashley, the top of her head reaching Ashley's bust, and she had curly pink hair, peppered with gray, and her wrinkles showed her age. This woman had been around for awhile, but she had an ancient feeling about her, as if she'd been around much longer than she looked. Her gaze, gray with the beginnings of cataracts, bore through her, like she was able to read everything that Ashley was thinking and feeling, and she knew everything about her.

"Ashley," Yukina began. "This is Genkai." Ashley bowed low.

"Like I said," Genkai remarked, appraising her. "About time." Her gaze flicked to Hiei and narrowed.

She turned on her heel and marched back to the temple behind her. The sprawling temple surrounded by trees and nature. It was like an old Japanese house, the ones that Ashley only ever saw on the internet anymore.

"We'll begin training at dawn," Genkai called over her shoulder. "You two can show her around, right?" It was a question, but Genkai didn't wait for the answer, leaving them alone at the edge of the temple.

Hiei, however, when Ashley glanced at him, looked less than enthused at the idea. He met her gaze, briefly, and disappeared in the way that he did, flitting away to God knew where, and leaving Ashley and Yukina alone.

Hurt threaded itself through Ashley's heart. She'd been right: when he'd been late, and when it took him days to come for her.

He'd left her.

"Please don't go," she'd wanted to beg him. He didn't bother to find anyone else to go to Demon World so soon after Heathrow, but it was his job, she reminded herself. "It's only two weeks," she'd forced out instead, her voice obviously quivering to her ears. But he didn't seem to care.

The memory immediately brought a knot to her throat, clogging for the tears that were on their way.

Ashley forced the thought away. "Will you show me around, Yukina?" she asked instead, trying to sound chipper even though all she wanted to do was cry.

Yukina seemed to realize, then, that Hiei had disappeared. She pasted on a smile that hid the frustration bubbling beneath. "Of course. Who needs him, right?"

Yukina took Ashley to her room first, through the winding hallways and many doors; she was sure she'd get lost on her own if she didn't walk it a few times at least. Yukina said she'd be sharing Hiei's normal room, which wasn't exactly the news she'd hoped to hear, but also didn't want to inconvenience Yukina or Genkai, for that matter, to ask for a separate room.

She'd just have to bare it.

And for that matter, the room itself was bare. There was a few of Hiei's clothes in the closet, but beyond that, there was a bed along one wall and a chair in a corner and that was it. A window opened to the gardens, but it was simple. It would be fine.

Leaving her duffel bag at the foot of the bed, Ashley followed Yukina back through the hallways, making notes to herself of how to find her room again. Yukina showed her the basics: the bathrooms, the kitchen, the living space that might otherwise be used for a family, the indoor training area, and pointed out Genkai's study, a small library with bookshelves that stretched from floor to ceiling and crammed with tomes, as well as the room she'd be in, and would be sharing with Kuwabara when he finally showed up on Saturday. Once Ashley had had the tour, the temple was much more manageable in size. It wasn't quite so overwhelming. Yukina even let Ashley lead her, as she tried to memorize where everything was in relation to each other. It was good, having a task to get her mind off of her trauma, and for about an hour or so she was able to forget. She was a normal girl visiting someone who could help her with this… power, or whatever it was within her.

She shied away from the thought, and focused on what Yukina was saying, "…she lives in Spirit World and works as a grim reaper, but often helps out Genkai, and especially Yusuke, or at least back during his spirit detective days."

The woman in question was grinning brightly. Yukina had led them out onto the porch, and even though the heat of summer was wearing off, it was still sticky and hot. Ashley glanced between Yukina and the woman, who had bright blue hair, pulled out of her face and into a ponytail, and wore casual clothing - which was much different from how she had imagined a grim reaper might dress.

"It's so very nice to meet you!" the woman shook Ashley's hand in a Western fashion, and even spoke in a British accent, which threw Ashley for a loop and she was gaping and stuttering immediately.

"Wait, you're British?" she asked, incredulous that she might meet a _British_ grim reaper.

"Well, I like the accent, so I picked it up," she replied, clasping her hands behind her back.

Ashley had to pause. "Wait, what did you say your name was? I'm sorry," but Botan was already shaking her head and waving her hands.

"It's no matter, really. I know there's a lot to take in," with a welcoming smile, she repeated her name. "I'm Botan."

"And you're a _grim reaper?_ _"_

"Well, I personally prefer the term _ferry girl_ , but it's all the same thing, really," Botan turned, then, motioning to a young man behind her that had been hanging back. He was just a smidge taller than herself, and had short blond hair that was gelled into a spiky sort of hairstyle; the kind that was popular back in the early millennium years. He wore a tank and basketball shorts, and was absolutely ripped. "And this is Bjorn! He was just like you about eight months ago."

"I'll need to give you a tour sometime," He said with a smile. Honestly, he reminded Ashley of a golden Labrador puppy. He just seemed so easy going and down to earth, and that smile wasn't too bad on him, either. And that accent. Was it Norwegian?

"Tour?"

His grin turned wicked, which immediately dropped Ashley's stomach in worry. It must have showed on her face because he was immediately soothing her fears, waving his hands in front of him as if to put out a flame and said, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no! Nothing like that! Whatever you're thinking it's wrong." When Ashley still wasn't convinced, holding only vague interest he spat the word, "Portals!" like it was something he'd been holding back. "I create _portals_ between locations in Human World."

"And he can create portals between Human World and Demon World, too!" Botan added.

A light flush came to his cheeks. "Only when it doesn't want to give me trouble I can."

Botan flapped her hand, waving him off. "Oh, he's just being modest. He can do it and I've seen him do it."

Bjorn, however, didn't meet Ashley's gaze, instead glancing to the floor. "I'm uh… I need to go…" and with that he left, pushing past them and back into the temple and the cool air that waited within.

"Is he okay?" Ashley asked after he left, glancing between Yukina and Botan.

The two girls shared a Look, Botan worrying at her lower lip.

"He blames himself," Yukina finally said. "Although he shouldn't. He was how Hiei was supposed to return home when you were… taken. He couldn't get the barrier to open."

"Wait. _He_ _'s_ how Hiei got to Demon World?" Ashley asked, looking back at the way Bjorn had left.

"Yeah, I mean, you can't just walk through the barrier," Yukina replied, joining Ashley in watching the same empty hallway.

Botan crossed her arms and turned back out to the sprawling expanse of grass that stretched between the temple and the tree line. "Not that it matters anyway. The barrier is shutting in two days. No one will be able to pass through."

"Things have gotten that bad?" Ashley asked, her attention back on Botan. She stepped up to stand with the grim reaper at the edge of the porch, Yukina moving a moment later.

"Yeah," the blue-haired girl sighed. "The Legion has found a way to move between Human World and Demon World easily, and between that and the tensions in Human World and the civil wars in Demon World creating more and more refugees, Lord Koenma is trying to figure out a way to neutralize both sides. This is the only thing we can think of right now - keep everything separate. And it doesn't matter that the spirits themselves have started their own rebellion-"

"Wait, what?" Yukina was immediately on Botan, having caught something that Ashley had missed. "What do you mean the spirits have started a rebellion?"

"Spirits?" Ashley tried to ask but Botan was already backtracking, trying to cover the slip she just made.

"Oh, you know. Just workers tired of long hours, is all. It'll be resolved quickly, I'm sure. You know, I think I need to go check to see if Genkai needs me… I'll just be going now!" Yukina tried to make a grab for Botan's hand, but the grim reaper slipped out of her grip and disappeared around a corner.

The air around Yukina had gotten considerably colder. If it wasn't because of the confusion and anger rolling off of her, it would have been a nice change from the sweltering heat that was that summer afternoon. Ashley finally caught Yukina's eye, and merely quirked a brow in question.

Yukina sighed. "Spirits are like humans and demons. You see, there are three worlds, and the main populace of each consists of either spirits, humans, or demons, which is why they're named as they are."

"So technically Botan is a spirit since she's from Spirit World?" Yukina nodded. "But I could feel her when she shook my hand."

"Humans have," Yukina began, trying to find a way to explain this. "Created their own definition for what spirits are. But Spirits from Spirit World are the same as people: living, breathing beings who have power of their own."

Something occurred to Ashley, then. "Why is it that spirits have power and demons have power but humans don't? And why do some humans have power and some don't?"

"You know," Yukina began, her face slightly scrunched. As they'd been talking, the air around them had warmed, Yukina's mind off of the mysterious disappearance of Botan. Yukina nodded toward where Botan had disappeared when she continued, "She would be a better answer to that question. She'd know the history of it, especially having worked with humans and ferrying their spirits between one world and the next. Botan would likely know. Or Genkai. They're both excellent resources."

Ashley looked across the expanse of grass and to the forest, where dozens of tents had been pitched. "Who are they?" She asked, the words soft.

"Refugees, mostly," Yukina replied, a sadness to her voice that Ashley couldn't begin to understand. "Demons who came to Human world to either escape the wars in Demon World, or find a better life for themselves here and found that humans aren't as open-armed as we were told. So they came here, to Genkai instead, to try to survive." At the question in Ashley's eyes, Yukina continued: "They can't go home. They have nowhere to go."

* * *

The soft rain pattering against the roof outside the window woke Ashley slowly the following morning. The night had consisted less of sleeping and more of battling the images and memories that threatened to overtake her at any moment, so having gotten even two hours of sleep was a reprieve, even if they were still full of confusing dreams. Even when she fully woke, she continued to lay in bed, listening to the rain, not bothering to check the time or move. The bed next to her remained untouched. Hiei had never come back.

When had been the last time she'd done this?

She'd always loved doing this as a child: to take a nap as a thunderstorm rolled in and wake to the final symphony as it left the area again. Really, she hadn't done it since college. At Cambridge. After she and Emmett broke up and she'd crashed at Isla's flat.

Isla.

Her chest ached as the familiar clog in her throat threatened to force a sob out, but it never came. It hurt, and it felt like there was a hole that had been punched through her, but she never cried.

At that, she forced herself up, pulling on a robe to make her way down to the bathrooms. Getting ready quickly came almost naturally after over five years at university and many late starts in her own career. Once she deemed herself decent, Ashley made her way down to the kitchen, following the scents of breakfast cooking. Rounding the corner, indeed it was breakfast, and Yukina cooking.

If it had been Isla, she would've said something snarky, like, "Don't you ever put your spatula down?" And they'd laugh as Isla flung whatever it was on the end of her spatula at Ashley.

As it was, she didn't feel like she had the same relationship with Yukina.

"Good morning," she greeted the demoness instead, smiling as Yukina turned toward her voice.

"Oh, good morning, Ashley!" Botan beat her to it, sitting at the table and sipping on some tea.

Yukina greeted her similarly and said, "I'm not going to ask if you're hungry or not because either way you need to eat before going out with Genkai."

Ashley hovered behind Yukina before she shooed Ashley to the table, and brought her a bowl a second later.

"Genkai's tough as nails, you're going to need it!" Botan exclaimed. For some reason she seemed excited over the prospect of Ashley training. Ashley, however, had never done any training in her life and had no idea what to expect. Of course, training at a piano was entirely different.

"Can you give me some spark notes on what to expect?" Ashley asked between bites. She'd even read the spark notes for Shakespeare, just to understand it on a deeper level. Surely there was something they could offer her.

"Just give your best!" Botan replied, taking another sip of her tea. Even from across the table, Ashley could see the steam rising off the mug.

Breakfast finished quickly and Ashley padded through the sprawling temple to the room that Genkai waited in. Peeking through the crack between the sliding door and the wall, Ashley could see in. Genkai sat in the middle of the room, her legs tucked under her, hands resting in her lap. Her face wasn't turned toward Ashley, but rather outside to the porch that overlooked the garden below.

With a start, the door was pushed back, making Ashley yelp in shock, only for Hiei to appear in the space between the door and the wall.

Quickly, the yelp disappeared, and she tried to fold herself as small as possible. Hiei wore a glare that pierced straight through her.

Two weeks ago she might have said something. Now, however, she couldn't find the energy within herself to stand up for herself against him.

"Finally," Genkai sighed, unfolding herself from her position on the floor. "Get in here, girl. We should have begun a half hour ago." Quickly, Ashley stepped over the threshold and the door shut behind her again. Glancing over her shoulder, Hiei still stood in the room, settling into a position against the wall - leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest. How very Hiei. Trying to ignore him, Ashley moved to where Genkai pointed, taking her seat on the floor.

"Have you ever meditated before?" Genkai asked, wrapping her fingers around a steaming cup of tea that had been sitting in the corner.

Ashley shook her head as she finally gave up in sitting the same way that Genkai had been. She knew her legs would start cramping up if she remained in that position for too long. Crossing her legs it was, then. "You mean like in yoga?"

The older woman slowly lowered her cup from her lips, the most deadpanned stare claiming her facial expression.

"No. Meditation to become one with your spiritual energy and to focus it!" Genkai sighed, stepping away from where Ashley sat, drawing her lips into a line. Over her shoulder, she cast Hiei a glare, which Ashley caught. It clearly said that she didn't want him there, and silent like a cat, Hiei left through the back door, leaving Ashley and Genkai alone in the room with a soft _click_ of the sliding door behind him.

"Good. Now you can focus." Really, Ashley was positive she wouldn't be able to focus even if he wasn't there. Everything was just too much. "Now, I want you to breathe, deeply. In through the nose, out through the mouth," Ashley did as she was told, eventually her eyes fluttering shut. Genkai spoke slowly, directing Ashley's focus. "Feel the breath enter you. Feel it enter your lungs and flow outward. Through your arms, hands, and to your fingers. Feel it make its way through your legs. Notice how your body is feeling."

Ashley followed the instruction; her back started aching almost immediately, tired from sitting so straight in the same position. She felt that very clearly.

But she continued, trying to focus all of her thoughts on her breathing.

It could have been minutes or hours before Genkai began speaking again, "Feel your breath come into you. Feel it in the very pit of your stomach. In the very core of your being. Take the energy there and pull it to the surface."

It was so close to what Yukina had said before that, Ashley knew immediately what to do. It was what she'd known to do in the warehouse, too. She pulled her energy up, but it didn't need a large prod, just a careful nudge, even though she wanted to let it rest within her or get rid of it altogether.

It had only caused destruction up until that point after all.

The power flowed through her body, welcoming the change that Genkai asked of her. It was warm, and inviting, and mixed with her breath, reinforcing itself until it was all Ashley could feel. The light touches of power through her body. Slowly, the ache in her back eased until it was gone altogether.

Genkai didn't say anything else, and slowly, Ashley's mind drifted into meditation.

Until something else rose behind her power, hiding like it was cautious. But she could feel it there. It was a memory there; a memory of an ability that felt both familiar and foreign.

And another memory, one of the hatred and jealousy of a little girl, long passed, who hated to be showed up.

As quickly as the ability rose, so it disappeared, crushed as Ashley made to ignore it.

Really, it was just a belief in the supernatural possibility that made _that_ even rise. She'd buried any notion of it long ago, at the same time that Sophia had accepted the role of caretaker for the House.

It was all silly anyway. Just silly made up stories made to put doubt in her mind and scare her at night. A shutter shut on its own? It was the ac coming on. Flickering lights? There was a faulty connection somewhere along the way. A shape of a woman in a window? It was the curtains. Simple as that. If there was any clairvoyance to be had, Sophia had gotten the lot of it.

 _That_ had never been who she was. There were reasons why Annabelle had pushed her down the stairs. And none of them included a psychic ability her family swore she had. Such things just didn't exist on a logical scale.

There were reasons for these things, and _that_ ability didn't exist within her. Couldn't exist within her. She might be the youngest of the Evans' family's kids, but that didn't mean a damn thing.

"You shouldn't be cognizant right now," Genkai growled low. She stood right behind Ashley.

A phrase rose, "Nobody could with you talking," but she bit it back. Genkai seemed to hold a lot of respect with everyone here and she didn't want to do anything that might cast a negative light on herself. Instead, Ashley wiggled a little, trying to loosen her shoulders. Peeking out of the corner of her eye, Genkai was sipping her tea, but stood close enough that it felt like pressure for Ashley to explain.

There was nothing to explain.

"Just a memory," Ashley replied instead, settling back into position.

The older woman harrumphed, though, clearly not convinced of Ashley's truthfulness, but didn't say a word.

Settling back into her meditation, focusing on her breathing, and the feel of her body sitting there, Ashley soon began to drift again, this time the memories stayed away.

* * *

The entire morning was spent in meditation. But at least by the end of it, Ashley could feel her power directly below her skin, moving within her, as much as she wanted to get it away. But she didn't say anything, and Genkai didn't pick up on it, or if she did she didn't say anything.

Lunch was served, and then they made their way to Genkai's study. It wasn't a dusty room, even though the tomes were dusty. Had Genkai really read all of these? There must have been hundreds in the small room.

Beneath a window sat a wooden desk, and before that were plush red armchairs, Western style. Ashley took a seat in one, Hiei in another, and Genkai behind her desk. They waited, for what, Ashley didn't know and didn't ask. Hiei still didn't look at her.

Over lunch, Genkai had brought up the fact that they needed to enter her mind to see what she had experienced, so that she wouldn't need to re-tell it, and explained the power of Hiei's Jagan eye. For whatever reason, Hiei had never told her this himself, but from the way Genkai said, "we need to enter your mind," left little room for discussion or bargaining on the topic.

"Will it hurt?" Ashley asked Hiei quietly, not daring to break the silence, but needing to know. She had curled her legs into the armchair, and leaned on the armrest, trying to smooth out the old fabric, and not daring to look at Hiei.

The answer didn't come right away. "No."

"Will I see it all again?"

The clock in the corner ticked for ten seconds. "Yes."

Ashley knew he was being short with her, but couldn't bring herself to retort in any way except, "But will it help?"

Four ticks. "Yes."

She rolled his words over in her mind. She didn't want to see everything again, but if it would help… she'd been of no help to them so far, doing as much as getting in the way more than anything, and being a nuisance when she wasn't. She was the anchor that tied Hiei down when he should otherwise leave and fight battles.

But she'd see -

 _No._ Ashley steeled herself, although to her ears it still sounded like her voice quivered. "Alright then."

Hiei glanced up, barely, but met her gaze. "I'll do it," she said, even if the words still sounded small and insignificant. But at that moment, that was all she could manage.

Hiei didn't respond, but rather went back to what he'd been doing, which was untying the knot in his headband.

The butterflies arose in her stomach even as her heart broke. "What have I done to make you so mad at me? You won't even look at me anymore."

It was at that moment that Kurama slipped into the study and shut the door behind him. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said, taking a spot at Genkai's right. "The train was running behind."

"Ashley," Hiei spoke, her name setting off butterflies in her stomach. "You need to relax and let me in."

She nodded, but wasn't exactly sure what she should be doing.

It didn't take long to find out. The force of the Jagan hit her like a wrecking ball.

She hadn't been sure what to expect, or when she should expect it, but when it came, it's power was thunderous and overwhelming, and she had no choice in the matter but to yield to it.

It was foreign, and strange, this energy that surrounded her, but what hope did she have in standing up to such a might? It tried to wrench control from her, and even though she knew she should relax and let it have its way, she held on, pushing the energy she'd found within her against it.

It was unnatural, and any promises she'd made to Hiei before fell flat. There was no way she was going to let this thing see what she'd experienced.

"Ashley."

Her name was soft, and a moment later, she felt his hand sneak into hers, and open her clenched fist, wrapping his heat around her hand.

"Hiei."

"Let me in."

She felt the tears fall as they did, but was caught off-guard. When did that happen? Even as she held on to that last modicum of control. Everything would be out in the open. Everything. She was a danger to everyone and they would see it and Hiei would truly disregard her. How stupid was she to promise anything else except complete privacy?

"Ashley," he said her name harder, the Jagan pushing itself into her mind.

Her hold on her mind was slipping, and before she lost herself to the power completely, she whispered, "Forgive me _._ "

* * *

 _Hiei was late. He was never late. Surely he hasn_ _'t forgotten about me._

 _I didn_ _'t even realize I had filled a pot of water for spaghetti - just in case he would be home - until Knox barked twice, grabbing my attention. I glanced over at him, and a third time he barked, and ran in a circle._

 _Ah. That._

 _It had already been a long day; honestly it felt like my brain was in a different dimension all day. Checking the stove to make sure I hadn_ _'t accidentally turned it on in my stupor, I grabbed Knox's leash to take him out. Of course I would forget to walk him. It wasn't like Hiei to be late. At least not anymore. Maybe in the beginning he did that frequently, before he cared. Or at least, I thought he cared._

 _The walk went quickly. Take Knox out. Let him sniff around and relieve himself. Even as he did his business, I wrapped my hand around my phone, hoping for a vibration from him, or some message to appear. More than once I checked my phone, again and again. Nothing had come through._

 _Finally, I hauled a sigh, slipping Knox_ _'s leash onto my forearm as I opened a new message. Thumb hovering over the letter "H," I finally moved to type a different name._

To: Kurama

Message: Have you heard from him?

 _I hit send right as Knox started pulling._ _"Hey!" I called to him, and turned to go back into the building. If he didn't want to walk proper, then he would catch up._

" _Ashley Lynn Wright."_

 _My name, my full name, had never been spoken by a voice so deep. A shiver ran down my spine, immediately setting me on edge. Even as I turned, I knew - I_ knew _I should ignore it and run. No one here should know me by that name._

 _But I didn_ _'t, and my mother would have scolded me. But I turned and before I could even form the words, my vision was filled by the massive demon directly behind me._

 _By the_ two _massive demons. One was shirtless. Tusks slipped from his bottom jaw, and leather pants that looked worn adorned his body. A sword hung at his side, with a hand resting on it. The other was smaller. Leaner. Wings like a bat, but sharp, narrow eyes._

 _Knox started barking._

 _And then there was pain._

* * *

 _There was so much pain. And it throbbed with a heartbeat I tried to find. But why was my heartbeat in my head? It was over my right ear, and that didn_ _'t make any sense._

 _Darkness enveloped me. Wherever I was. It stunk like fish - salt and the tang of blood offending my nose. There was little else I could smell besides that._

 _As much as I tried to remain awake and figure out where I was, the darkness swallowed me again._

* * *

 _It was maybe the fourth or fifth time I woke that I heard them talking. My captors._

 _A shiver lodged itself in my chest, forcing the uncontrollable tremors that wracked through my body. Captors._

 _What was the last thing I remembered?_

 _I tried to think back. Through the pain. Through the darkness. The pain was the hardest part. Every time I gained an inch, it took a mile, bringing me right back to wherever_ here _was._

 _Knox._

 _Knox had been there. What were we doing though?_

 _We were waiting for a text to come back._

 _The memory was clear as a bell. I was waiting for Kurama to text me back. I had just texted him._

 _However long I_ _'d been out, it was obvious that no one was coming from me. I hadn't been able to shout for help, and as far as I knew, I might be in the middle of their camp now. No one knew I was here. Wherever_ here _was. The only people that knew were the ones in the same room._

 _Which, they had brought me here, and knocked me sideways doing so. What was to stop them from killing me if I made a sound?_

 _They would kill me and there would be no remorse. They were demons after all. My body would end up on the BBC news, another name listed beside hundreds that had died at the hands of demons._

 _Another name. Next to Isla_ _'s._

 _I could see her again._

" _No, we have to wait…" The deep voice drifted to me, wherever I was. It was a direct copy of the demon who had said my name before. Whenever that had been._

" _They need to hurry up." Another voice said. The other demon, possibly? "I'm losing my patience."_

" _Quiet, Karin; be still. All will reveal itself."_

 _I tried to move, but the bindings around my hands cut into my wrists, a stinging pain slipping up my arms, hurting so bad I_ _'d rather choose numbness. I wanted to cry - the sound was right there - but I stifled it against my shoulder instead._

 _No one was coming._

 _But the pain reminded me I was alive._

 _I had to escape._

* * *

 _I don_ _'t know how long I listened to Deep Voice and Karin, but I remained quiet and still, trying to figure out where we were. Eventually, the pain faded to a dull throb, and I was able to determine that something was wrapped around my head, doubtful that it was to stem the bleeding, although I guess that was a possibility. More than likely it was to keep me in the dark, but my eyes still worked. I could see a dull light at the bottom of the blindfold, where it crossed my nose and created a bridge._

 _Until the dull light faded back to darkness._

 _They brought me food and water, keeping me blindfolded, and when I couldn_ _'t hold myself any more, one of them finally untied my blindfold._

" _If you say anything I will slit your throat, girl." One of them said. Karin. Their voice wasn't deep enough to be Deep Voice._

 _I nodded, vigorously, as Karin led me to a toilet in the back. As I went, I tried to notice anything about this place that I could heart galloping like a racehorse, terrified I would be caught._

 _Windows were high up along the walls, which only showed darkness beyond. Night. It was night. And the walls were metal. Sparring a quick glance, which Karin caught and hit me with something, I yelped, but was able to file the information away. It had been worth it. We were in a warehouse._

 _Chains and boxes were scattered about, but it was too hard to say exactly what it was that had once been held in the warehouse. Going to the bathrooms we had to pass by an office space. Inside, desks, years abandoned by the layers of dust over the keyboards and monitors, were decorated with maps of their families and memorabilia that had been left behind. On one wall, hanging quietly, was a map of the harbor._

 _The harbor._

 _I was still in Tokyo._

* * *

 _It was daylight again before Karin came to collect me for a bathroom break. With the daylight, I tried to notice details that I hadn_ _'t before: an address on the door we went through, if there were any markings on the map, that sort of thing._

 _Once I got back to the place they were holding me - a little area of the warehouse siphoned off by chain link fencing, I casually looked around, without them noticing. A door was on the other side of the warehouse, but tall enough that I could see it_ _'s hardware._

 _Deep Voice caught me looking. I was knocked out again._

 _By my third trip to the bathroom I had finally spotted a map of the area, marking the building we were in with a large star._

* * *

 _Sometime in the wee hours of that night I finally came up with a plan, as I laid awake and listening for any noise that might mean that Deep Voice or Karin was coming for me, to do things to me that daylight would never know of._

 _I practiced pulling my power into my hands, waiting for me just below my skin. I tried pulling it into my hands, but it never came. Still, if I could force my power into them, just enough to stall them, maybe I could have a chance of survival._

 _And if they came that night, I would be ready._

 _They never came, but I still readied my plan._

* * *

 _The following morning, as Karin was approaching me for my bathroom break, I exaggerated the pain that the binding was causing my wrists._

" _Please, will you loosen my bindings?" I asked, but I was struck so hard I landed on the floor, pining my hands beneath my body. That was going to bruise._

" _Karin, no need to be so rough," Deep Voice replied, but I was already getting my feet underneath me._

 _There was not going to be a night three of this._

 _Karin tried reaching for me, but I struck out my bound hands, calling my power, but as soon as I touched him, my power flowing into his body, he jolted, like I_ _'d touched him with a cattle rod, and fell to the floor._

" _What-?" Deep Voice looked at his friend, twitching uncontrollably, and then at me. Pure rage crossed his features. "Why you-!"_

 _I didn_ _'t try to figure out what had happened with Karin. It had worked once, and it would work again. I dodged Deep Voice's attack, and stepped around him, light on my feet. Just as I thought I'd left him behind, I was jerked back, and pulled into his chest. As my hand connected with his stomach, just the same as it was with Karin, my power jolted into his body, and I felt him. I felt his entire being in that one touch, as my power flowed from me, through Deep Voice, and before it came back into me, it struggled, like it was trying to reach another source._

 _And beyond that, deep in my core, something else rose up, rose and tried to break free._

 _I recognized it immediately, and shut it back out as I ripped my hand away from Deep Voice as he dropped like a rag doll._

 _I sprinted, not bothering to wonder how my binding around my hands had broken. I sprinted through that door, and down the streets, until I found a hiding place where I could wait._

 _And I waited. Until the memories caught up to me._

 _They had just dropped. Like they were dead. Surely I hadn_ _'t just killed two people?_

 _But the same time that I thought that, the thought was replaced. I_ _'m glad I killed them if I did, because then they wouldn't be coming back for me. But that only terrified me more._

 _Was I a terrible person? Had I just killed them? I didn_ _'t want them to be dead, did I? But what if I did? What did it mean if I did?_

 _The feeling of feeling Deep Voice_ _'s body swam up, through the memories, and immediately my stomach turned, leaving me feeling weak and shaking afterward._

 _I was a monster. An absolute monster. Even if I didn_ _'t kill those two it was close, and I'd_ wanted _it._

 _My power was terrible. It was a bane. I_ _'m a terrible person. I did that. Me. And if I'd let it, it would have destroyed the entire warehouse._

 _How I knew that, I didn_ _'t exactly know, but it was that tug, that battle I'd fought with my own power not to slip from my grasp._

 _It had craved destruction, craved it like nothing I_ _'d ever felt before._

 _If it had wanted to jump free from my control once, what was to say it wouldn_ _'t do it again? What if I hurt Yukina, or Kuwabara, or Hiei, if he ever bothered to return? I couldn't do that._

 _I wouldn_ _'t do that._

 _I would run away, where I couldn_ _'t hurt anyone, and I would live alone. Knox couldn't come. Maybe I'd live in the wilderness. Whatever it was, I would never hurt anyone again._

* * *

The Jagan's power, once it was done ravaging my memories, left as quickly as it came. Like a hurricane weakening and leaving the area, it left nothing but destruction in its wake.

Ashley was acutely aware of the tears that had soiled her face as she came to, but didn't move, terrified of drawing attention to herself. Hiei wouldn't look at her, even as she whispered, "Please." She wasn't sure why, but that seemed like the right thing to ask.

"Ashley, why don't we get you cleaned up?" Kurama spoke gently, like he was afraid Ashley might break. Hiei rose, swiftly, and went to stand with Genkai.

Ashley allowed Kurama to help her rise, and direct her to the bathroom, and then he left her there, thankfully, saying he needed to re-join Hiei and Genkai.

It was just as well, really. Now they could see her for the monster she was. Self-defense or not. She'd nearly killed those two, and it had nearly gotten out of hand.

She couldn't rip her eyes from her snotty reflection, though once she did and cleaned herself up, numbness had spread through her, smothering her like a blanket.

She didn't go back to the study after that, instead finding a section of the porch to lean against, avoiding Yukina and Botan, both.

Ashley slowly lost track of time, watching as the afternoon shadows grew longer, aimlessly.

"Hey." The greeting caught Ashley by surprise, pulling her from her reverie after Hiei's interrogation of sorts. "You okay?"

It was Bjorn, Ashley realized, with his Norwegian accent and spiky blond hair. His thumbs were looped through the belt loops of his jeans, and the wifebeater he wore showed off his biceps. Damn, he had biceps.

"I will be," Ashley replied, half numb from the rush of emotions and memories.

He smiled, a small thing, a hesitant thing. "Maybe now would be a good time for that tour?"

Tour? Oh. "You mean your portals, right?"

He nodded, and started reaching for her hand. "Let me distract you. You look like you could use a good distraction."

Ashley laughed at his willfulness, the sound bright. "Alright, alright! You really don't have to work so hard," she said, and took his calloused hand.

"Come on," he said, leading her off the porch and out onto the grassy space between the temple and the forest. At the tents that lined the tree line, some of the demons that milled about watched Bjorn and Ashley. Immediately, apprehension filled Ashley's gut.

The trepidation must have showed on her face, because Bjorn remarked, "Don't worry about them. They're just curious."

He released her hand, and she immediately missed it. His hand was security - large and calloused, much like another man's hand that she missed very much. Bjorn looked like he gave good hugs. He was only a few inches taller than herself, but he was thick with muscle, looking very much like he could punch your lights out or envelope you in security. Right at that moment, Ashley would have given anything for a hug that meant security.

She didn't voice any of this.

"Okay. What's your favorite place in the world?"

That was an odd question. "My favorite place?"

Bjorn nodded, an excitement lighting his eyes. There was no thought needed. It popped into Ashley's head before her current home in Chelsea, back in London. Before the house in Pluckley. Before her home here in Japan or Edinburgh where she visited Oliver when he went to school there. "We used to live on the corner of Coleridge and Palmerston in Walthamstow. It's an area of London."

"No problem," he said, and moved so that he stood next to her. "Do you mind if I touch you?" he asked, hand hovering over her shoulder. She shook her head, and he grasped her shoulder. Immediately, a strange energy flowed into her, but it was just Bjorn, she knew without a doubt. "Picture it in your mind, okay?" She did as she was told, and with his other hand grasping something invisible in front of them, the trees that she saw on the far side of the grassy slope disappeared, marred by the line of energy that formed in the air before them. A moment later the line had formed into a wide circle, sparking with spiritual energy, and showing the street of Palmerston in front of them instead.

With the portal opened, Ashley's mouth dropped. "No way!" she exclaimed, stepping from under Bjorn's grip and walking around the portal. On the outside edges of his energy was the temple and the forest. Behind the portal lay the forest she saw just a moment ago. Through the portal, outlined by his energy, was home. "This is mental!"

"Go on through," Bjorn encouraged, offering the portal to home just within reach.

Movement caught Ashley's attention on the porch. Hiei had found them, and he leaned against one of the beams, arms crossed. He didn't wear an expression, but rather nodded at the portal that Bjorn had created. "You should go."

In that moment, Ashley wanted Hiei to be the type to come with her. She wanted to be able to reach between the space that divided them and ask him to come with them and he would go. She wanted to show him her home. The place that she'd loved for years.

But he wouldn't go, even if she asked, and anyway, why did she want him to? He'd made his choice obvious, hadn't he?

She didn't respond to him, but rather squared her shoulders and walked through.

Immediately, she was standing on the busy street corner of Palmerston and Coleridge, the worn-down businesses surrounding her not bothering to hide their age or the tiredness of their owners. Rain splattered her clothing, the light drizzle making the neighborhood seem even gloomier than it usually did. Across the street from the businesses were a small cluster of homes, almost out-of-place from the bustle of people trying to reach their appointments. Only three, but the rent was cheaper here than it was just down Coleridge or even Melbourne a block over, even if you didn't want to be out walking alone at night.

Ashley knew this neighborhood like the palm of her hand. Elli's Hair and Beauty would be to the right of where she stood and across the street of Coleridge, the Shamas Food Store hugging it close, then the A-Z Car Clinic if you were wealthy enough to own a car. Her father used to dream of the day they would own a car and he could take it there. On her other side, was Bite, and Flamer's. The businesses in between always went out of business every few years; who knew what was there now. And the house that stood over her, right on the corner of the two streets, had been her family's. Brown brick with white detailing on the lower and upper windows. They had lived in that house until Bradley Eckhart had convinced them to move into something that showed that they were 'powerful people', when she was thirteen. Wright United had been a growing business for almost five years at that point, so her father and mother moved her and Sophia to the upscale, quiet neighborhood of Chelsea. Oliver had already left for university.

Subconsciously, Ashley's hands had moved to cover her mouth. Turning back the way she came, Bjorn stood there, thumbs hanging from his belt loops. He wore a grin that showed his happiness for her happiness.

"This is incredible!" She exclaimed. She only had yen on her, otherwise she would have walked three blocks over to Yeti's ice cream shop and bought them both a cone. "How does no one notice us?"

"People only see what they want to see, you see," Bjorn approached her. "My power is such that we … what is it? … slowly fade into existence. If someone didn't notice us before, they just blame it on not paying attention."

They stood there in silence for a moment, taking in the neighborhood, and Ashley attempted a smile at some passerby who did a double take in their direction.

"Where else do you want to go?" Bjorn asked, grabbing her attention. Really, she didn't want to leave there. This was her home for the first thirteen years of her life, and she wanted to walk the neighborhood like she'd done ten years ago, and explore it in ways she couldn't when she was still a child.

But it was raining, and she also wanted to see more of Bjorn's ability. "How about your home?" His brows shot up in surprise until he chuckled, low.

"Thank goodness it's summer," he muttered, before opening another portal. Mountains rose up beyond what they could see through the portal, and the sun was out, scattered clouds dotting what they could see of the sky. They walked out of the portal and onto a deserted street. "This is the main road," Bjorn said, but pointed out across a grassy field. "See that house there? The red one?" She followed where he pointed. Beyond were houses, some white, some gray or brown, a couple were red. But the one that was closest to them, a two-story house with white detailing on the porch and roof and the basement below, was what he was pointing at. She nodded when she found it. "That's my grandmother's house, where I grew up. She still lives there, too, otherwise I'd get closer." Ashley quirked a brow, but she didn't need to say anything. "I'm supposed to be in Japan right now, aren't I?"

"Where are we?" Ashley asked instead. On all sides rose the mountains, covered with trees. Only maybe a handful of houses actually existed in this place, and some businesses. Off to their right Ashley could swear she heard the soft lull of waves.

"Loen, Norway," Bjorn replied. A cool breeze swept across the fjord that they stood in, making Ashley shiver. With any luck, Japan would have this weather by the end of the weekend, but that didn't mean she'd thought ahead to bring her sweatshirt with her.

"So," Ashley began, turning toward Bjorn. "Anywhere you want to go, you can get there." It dawned on her, then, who he was. " _You_ _'re_ how they've been getting from Japan to halfway around the world in less than an hour!"

He shrugged, glancing away. "Well, me and Kuwabara. He's better at this than I am, that's for sure. He can even access Demon World. Me…"

He trailed off. "I've been having some issues with it, even before the barrier closes tomorrow. Kuwabara, though, he can slice through it like it's nothing. He's the real champ," Bjorn said, but quickly changed the subject. The negative comment indirectly turned back on himself caught Ashley's attention, though she didn't remark on it. "Hey, enough of this. I want to show you something."

Bjorn opened another portal. This time to New York City. Even at night, the city held the potential for the craziness that it held every single day, like a breath before a scream. Ashley did the quick conversion in her head; it must have been just an hour or so before sunrise. "We keep checkpoints all around the world. They're like, homes away from home, or…" he was struggling to find the right word. He said it in Norwegian, although Ashley had no hope of understanding that language. She knew English, of course, and had taken Japanese and German in high school. Norwegian was lost on her. Ashley waited. "Checkpoints really isn't right… they're like places you can go that are connected to Genkai's temple. If you go there, we can get word wherever it needs to go. We have friends manning the areas that will help put you in touch with Hiei, or Yukina, or Yusuke."

"Where all do you have them?" Ashley asked, following Bjorn down the street to an old worn-down looking building. 512 Hunters Street, the sign read above the door. "Here, obviously: New York City," Ashley had never felt any desire to come to New York City, and now that she was there, she still felt no desire to explore it. "Moscow, Russia, Salvador in Brazil, and Cappadocia in Turkey."

"That's quite an array," Ashley replied. "Where on earth is Cappadocia? I obviously know where Moscow is, and I know Salvador is on the coast, but I've never heard of Cappadocia."

Bjorn turned, one hand on the door handle of 512 Hunters Street. "Do you know where Konya is?" Ashley shook her head. "Kayseri?" Again, she shook her head. Bjorn signed. "Well, you obviously know where we are now. Let me take you there."

Again, he opened a portal. Again, they stepped through.

Cappadocia was beautiful in an untraditional sense, but it still managed to take Ashley's breath away, the gasp slipping out as she stepped through the portal.

"What on earth?"

It was like the land had fallen away, leaving buildings carved right into the rock. All the way on the other side of the world from New York, Of course, there were clusters of modern buildings here and there, but even they were built with bricks of the same light rock. Around the edges of the city, cliffs rose up, shielding them from the outside world.

"This is Cappadocia!" Bjorn exclaimed, gesturing to the unfamiliar terrain around them. It looked barren, the rock did that, but truly, it was an exquisite place. Unlike New York city, the day was in full-swing, people running from place to place and cars zipping between the strange structures. "We are essentially in the middle of Turkey."

"How on earth did you find this place?" Ashley asked. They stood at one of the cliffs, standing over the city, and staring out at the far reaches of the surrounding scrubland.

"Kurama, actually," Bjorn replied, coming to stand next to her. He was close enough that if it had been Hiei she would have felt his heat immediately. "He was out scouting for a place. We've tried to place them in particular regions of the world. We're trying to find a place in Africa, but have had little luck so far.

"It was the perfect place of in the middle of nowhere, and surrounded by people. Don't want anything too conspicuous, right?" He phrased it like a question, but grinned, his eyes crinkling. His smile was infectious, and soon, Ashley couldn't help herself, until thoughts of Hiei wormed themselves back into her mind.

"Hey, Bjorn," she began, nervously twirling a loose thread on the cuff of her sweatshirt between her fingers. "Can I ask a favor?" He quirked a brow, humming in question. Ashley bit her bottom lip nervously; if she didn't ask quickly she'd lose her nerve.

"Can… can I have a hug?" He didn't move. "It's just, you look like you give great hugs, and-" She wasn't sure, really, what she would follow up that 'and' with, but she didn't need to.

Moving quickly, Bjorn turned, wrapping Ashley in his embrace. One arm around her waist, the other pulling her close and tucking her head into the crook where his neck met his shoulder.

Ashley froze, not really believing what was happening in that moment. But Bjorn held on, and slowly, Ashley wrapped her arms around him, too.

He was so kind. _So_ kind. And unassuming, and wanting to share things with her, and didn't think less of her. He saw that she was upset, and he just… he just _acted_. Took her to a place that would lighten her heart and make her smile.

Why couldn't Hiei be that way?

She drew in a shaky breath, finally stepping away from Bjorn, even if a small part of her wanted to keep hanging on for a little longer.

"So, do I give good hugs?"

Ashley couldn't help but giggle as she tried to secretly wipe away the tears that had gathered in her eyes.

Bjorn was grinning again, his hands resting in his back pockets, his eyes crinkling in that way they did. All the way up where they stood there was a slight breeze, and it drifted his hair around his eyes. She had to admit, he was handsome.

"I just wanted to tell you," she began slowly, wondering how to phrase what she wanted to say so that he wouldn't get mad that she, Yukina, and Botan had been talking behind his back. "I don't blame you for not being able to get the portal open that day. Really, I didn't think Hiei was coming back for me at all. I was trying to figure a way out on my own."

He hung his head, hand rubbing the back of his neck, but he still wore a soft smile. If she hadn't seen it for himself, she might think that he was happy all the time.

"Well, Hiei can be an ass," he said, glancing away back to the magical city below them. "A big ass." That made Ashley only laugh, even through the shaky breaths she tried to take in. "But I think you should talk to him. He's never been the type to give away his heart freely and it takes a lot to get to know him. But you've managed to. He's let you. He wouldn't do that if he didn't care about you. I think you'll find that you're on the same page."

Bjorn's words stilled Ashley, the back of her hand pressed against her mouth.

"I'm pretty sure he's left me, honestly," she admitted, tears springing to her eyes once more. "He won't even look at me, and he treats me like trash."

"Okay, then, so he's a dick," Bjorn mumbled, running a hand over the back of his neck, again. "Maybe you shouldn't talk to him if he's going to treat you like that, but if you want to try to fix things, you need to talk to him. He's not going to know how you feel if you don't, and I'm getting the feeling that you haven't yet, have you?"

Ashley didn't reply, and Bjorn didn't say any more, either, even as Ashley waited for it. Finally, he turned back to her and asked, "Are you ready to get back? I don't want your boyfriend or non-boyfriend coming after me waving his pointy stick."

At that she was rolling, tears springing back to her eyes for an entirely different reason.

Bjorn let her compose herself as he opened the portal. Only when he followed her through did he lean close and whisper, "You'll be okay."

* * *

Friday started the same way that Thursday had: Ashley woke up alone and dressed before she went to eat. The second day that Hiei never showed.

After breakfast, Ashley met Genkai outside, but at the training grounds that Yukina had told her to go to. Thunder rumbled deep and heavy in the distance. For the first time in a day it had stopped raining, the cool air nipping at her legs where she'd left her shorts on and opted for a sweatshirt to cover her arms, instead.

Genkai's instruction was simply to manifest her power in her hands, a feat that proved more difficult than she originally thought it would be.

Again, and again, and again, Ashley closed her eyes, almost in a meditative-like state, grasping at her power within her, and tried to pull it to the surface, to her hands. She followed Genaki's training and eventually Shizuru's words from that night at Yukina's flat, but no matter how she tried, she just continued to stand there, awkwardly in a fighting stance, with nothing to show for it. Her hands remained empty.

Finally, growing impatient with Ashley's incompetence, Genkai called Hiei over, from his place in the trees above. He landed softly beside Genkai, staring at Ashley like she was something he'd never seen before. She tried not to let it bother him.

"Show her," the old woman groused. "Show her how it's done."

He barely spared a glance to her before calling his power into his right hand, red energy engulfing it.

"If you can't even do this, how can you hope to fight back?" Hiei snipped at her. Really, all Ashley wanted to do was sink into the ground. His energy grew, until it engulfed his entire body, but she felt it. She felt it like a thunderstorm growing, she felt it like a pressure on her chest, as it expanded, until Genkai finally admonished him.

"Why don't you stop showing off, Hiei, and go do something useful?" His energy disappeared immediately as he glared at the woman. His control was incredible.

Barely sparing a glance back at Ashley, Hiei disappeared, leaving Ashley and Genkai alone again.

"Like he showed you, eventually you'll reach that level, but I don't expect mastery in a single day. Let's just focus on you getting it into your hands. Try again."

She did. Ashley tried for another two hours until Botan finally called them in for lunch.

Ashley, however, waited; looking to Genkai for approval before moving. Finally, she sighed. "Might as well. Give me something to muse over until afterward."

Lunch was good, and included Yukina, Botan, Ashley. and Genkai. Hiei was elsewhere, which was just as well, really. How was she supposed to look him in the eye after her pitiful performance?

After lunch, Ashley headed back out to the training grounds when Genkai stalled, standing in between the training grounds and the path that led to the forest. "Not that way." Ashley halted, but remained standing between Genaki and her destination.

"I'm sorry?" She finally asked when Genkai didn't move.

She merely turned and started walking out to the forest. Ashley eventually followed, without a word or protest, and followed on Genkai's heels a good thirty minutes from the temple, until they reached a clearing. Between training that morning and lunch, the thunder had faded out to nothing, but now, it approached with fervor as the wind picked up.

Genkai finally stopped walking next to an old pine tree, swaying in the cool breeze that was starting to pick up from the approaching thunderstorm. Somewhere nearby, thunder cracked, and raised the hairs on her arms and neck. The electricity was tangible in the air.

"Genkai?" Ashley asked carefully, even though she was almost certain what the answer was going to be.

"I want you to use the storm and release your power into this tree."

Yep. That was exactly what she thought Genkai was going to say. And the color drained from her face as her heart rate picked up.

"Please no," she begged, acutely aware of the pine tree to her back. Genkai didn't move. Didn't offer any reprieve for her.

The thunder was getting closer, the telltale signs of lightning nearby. It called to her, the power in the air surrounding her.

"Genkai, please. I don't want to." Touching the demon in the warehouse flashed through her thoughts. Even though she'd only touched his stomach, her electricity had spread out from there and up, through his torso, stuttering his heart to a stop, as it continued to spread through his fingertips, and down his legs. It had been wild; a power she could barely control. And she felt everything. She didn't want to feel it again.

She didn't want to hurt Genkai.

"What's going on here?" Hiei dropped to the ground as lighting cracked just behind him. It was growing - this need to let her power out. It gripped her windpipe and kicked up her heart.

"Hiei, stay out of this." Genkai yelled through the storm. "Girl, you need to do this." It wasn't a question. Ashley wanted to do well with her training, she wanted to learn a lot, but not like this. Not pressured into using her power in the most raw form.

Lightning cracked through her, whipping up into a frenzy. One glance at Hiei told her everything she needed to know. He was terrified, too, terrified for her, and again, the memory of the warehouse came back, sharp and precise.

She had been alone. Hiei wasn't coming. She had to escape.

Ashley touched the tree.

In less than three seconds, her power exploded out of her touch, directly into the tree, as the electricity in the storm responded to the call of her power and answered. It struck the tree, a direct path to the ground, and lit the tree from the inside. The glowing bark instantaneously shattered, wood and branches splintering off from the tree itself.

Thunder answered her power, cracking overhead and making the hairs on her arms rise.

As it faded, she turned to catch the expressions of both Hiei and Genkai, both covered in splinters, as the rain started to fall.

Genkai didn't say anything for a long moment. "Just like that, but you need to do it again. Remember what that felt like."

Glancing at Hiei, he didn't say a word, just watched her, carefully.

It was then that Genkai turned, having seen what she needed, and headed back to the temple and into the storm that was brewing.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon was spent directing Ashley's power into her hand. They stood in the thunderstorm until they were shivering and long past pruning, and until Ashley able to call her power into her hands like Hiei had done. And they did that again, and again, and again, until she could do it without thinking about it, and hold it there, effortlessly.

Only as the thunderstorm was beginning to weaken and peter off did Genkai call it for the night, right as dinner was announced, and Bjorn slipped away – back to his apartment, he said, two towns over - but Ashley decided a shower was in order before she could even think about eating.

It was only when she was showered and dry and dressed in the warmest clothing she had brought that she started walking back toward the kitchen, passing a window in the process and spotting Hiei on the porch. One hand held the hilt of his sword, the other a whetstone. His movements were precise and even, and the sword on the stone the only sound on that side of the temple.

Watching him sit there working, while he had no idea she was there, it was peaceful. He was peaceful, his face relaxed as he worked.

Steeling herself, Ashley found the closest door and slipped through. Oh yes, the storm had left a cool front in its wake, and even through the sleeves of her sweater and jeans she shivered. "Can I talk with you?" Ashley approached him cautiously, hands clasped in front of her, unsure, her voice small.

Hiei glanced up at her, taking her in, and for what felt like the millionth time that weekend, unreadable expression crossed his face before his mask was put firmly in place.

He didn't nod or shake his head, just flicked his gaze to something behind her. Ashley didn't turn to look at what it was. "Not here," he replied coolly. Sheathing his blade, he held out his arms, low, as if motioning at her for something.

"What?" she asked, trying to understand, but he huffed a sigh.

"I need to carry you there."

To anyone else he might have sounded like his usual brusque self. After almost five months with him, Ashley recognized his tone for what it was: he was frustrated, and barely containing it, too.

Complying with a huff, and determined to get to the bottom of why he was feeling this way, she stepped closer, and he swept her up into his arms. She looped her hands around his neck, and in a moment they were flying through the forest at his usual breakneck speed, trees and limbs passing so quickly they all blurred together.

Eventually they stopped, what felt like minutes later, and Hiei released her, only to walk as far away from where she stood as possible, and taking his warmth with him.

In the silence that stretched between them, Ashley took in where they stood: on a cliff of a mountain, overlooking the forest below them, and above, patches of starry sky slipped behind and in between clouds that blew through from the thunderstorm they had had earlier. The lights of the temple were nowhere to be seen. Out here, it was just them and the night sky.

She was about to ask what this place was when he spoke, abruptly and harsh. "You need to stop being afraid all the time." The accusation cut through her. "You need to take control of your power and I just see you trying to avoid it. I thought you were better than this." He turned toward her then, hurt flashing through his scarlet gaze, darkened by the night around them, before he could hide it from her.

Indignation rose up in her, fast and furious. "Well, I'm sorry I'm not more like you, then!" she hissed, her own anger taking her aback. Where had this been all weekend? But it was there, and she surrendered herself to it. No more trying to be polite and understanding to him. They needed to get on the same page if they were going to work through this. "Ooh, look at me! I'm Hiei! I'm high and mighty waving a sword around and I have no fear!"

A muscle twitched in his jaw, tension slipping through him as he drew himself back. He didn't even try to retort though, just turned, and started walking away.

She knew what came next. It was what always came next with him, and Ashley had had enough. "You think you're all brave, but you're just a coward when it really matters," she hissed, but he still heard her, and rounded on her.

"It's not like you want to be part of my world! One little encounter and you break!" He wasn't yelling, but said every word precisely, right in her face. "You're _weak_. Scared. Afraid to use your own power."

He was incredible! How could he even begin to fathom that? "Maybe I'm terrified of hurting the people I care about most. Maybe I'm terrified because I don't know what this is or what I'm doing and the one person I counted on to tell me about it all hasn't so much as brought it up once! I've asked and I've asked and I've asked and you _still_ keep me in the dark! And no you blame me for not knowing anything? Fuck you, Hiei. Fuck you! You just want to see me as weak. You just want to put the blame on anyone else but yourself."

He stumbled back like Ashley had struck him. The next thing he said came quieter, softer. "That's the last thing I want."

Ashley wasn't done. "Oh, is it? Really? Because keeping me in the dark up until now has been a real advantage."

Hiei was silent for a moment. Then, with all the vigor of the last several months of frustration, all the second-guessing he'd done, it came tumbling out. "I'm not worth you knowing about this world! You say you want to know about all of this, well what if knowing is what gets you hurt?"

"I'm going to get hurt either way, Hiei, and I'd rather know what I'm up against," she replied, forcefully, as if the force of her words could convince him otherwise. "And I've told you before, but I'll tell you again: _I_ ," she laid a hand on her sternum, pressing her hand against her chest as if she could convince him. _Please, let him believe me._ "I choose you. But I can only continue to choose you if I know what it is I'm choosing. And I will tell you this every day until you believe me."

Something seemed to snap in Hiei. Even as Ashley softened her tone, his flared. "You want to know me? Fine." In a swift movement, he crossed the distance back to her. "I'll show you."

He took her hands in his vice-like grip, and raised his demonic energy, the very thing that Genkai had him show her earlier that day, but he didn't stop at the level that he had in training. No, it went from a warm embrace to a raging wild fire: hot, and suffocating, and drowning. It was fear and anger and power and confidence.

It made her breathless and dizzy and was exhilarating, and gave her chills, to be able to stand in the presence of this god, because that's surely what he was. He raised it until it surrounded her and filled her senses. In it, she couldn't even feel his hands. She could just feel him – his essence. And he was _incredible_.

And even as he raised his energy, she could feel the potential for more. This wasn't even everything. How-?

Just as she started to wonder, Hiei quelled his energy once more, and Ashley fought to catch her breath, her heart racing as butterflies filled her.

Hiei stepped away, leaving her on shaky legs, but turned away, to let her catch her breath and compose herself.

"Damn, Hiei," she muttered, fanning herself as his back was turned.

Even so, he shook his head, glancing back at her from under locks of his black hair that had fallen out of his usual messy style. "You're ridiculous." The words were serious, but the scoff he wore held something akin to affection.

Silence joined them as a friend again, as Ashley finally caught her breath and chose to step up to where he stood, hands shoved into his pockets. She nudged him with her shoulder. When she had his attention, she began, "I'm not going to say I'll stop being afraid, because I can't. Not after that. Hiei, I _felt_ him," she admitted. Immediately the memory flashed through her. Like a sixth sense, the memory remained. "Almost like - like I ran my hand over the inside of his entire body. I felt him and his energy and I nearly wiped him out. Both of them. That terrifies me. Especially knowing I might do it to you.

"Will you show me how to fight? I don't want to be put in that situation again," she continued.

He breathed deep through his nose, looking away. "Genkai's the better teacher."

If the little "Oh," of disappointment that escaped her lips caught his attention, he didn't let it show. Genkai would obviously show her, and teach her, but she really wanted it to come from Hiei. Besides, it had been him who'd introduced her to this entire world.

They remained silent, in quiet companionship, staring up at the stars together. Ashley whispered, "It really is beautiful out here. I can see why you like it."

Slowly, painstakingly slow, a hand wormed itself into Ashley's fist, the same way that he had done the day before when he was about to unleash the Jagan on her. She let him, doing nothing to stop him, and slowly, he gripped her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

"I need you to do something for me," Hiei finally spoke, his tenor soft, almost soft enough to be lost between them. "If I lose my patience, or if I push you away," Ashley looked at him, not moving from her position on the cliff, just enough for him to see her face. "Remind me why I continue to fight for you." He glanced away, briefly. "I have left you alone through most of this, and that's not fair. What I can tell you going forward I will."

That was probably the nicest thing he had ever said to her, which was why chills rose up her spine, freezing her where she stood.

They were also eerily familiar.

"What is it?" Hiei asked, having caught her expression, and worry twisted itself into his words.

She clenched her jaw, trying to place where she'd heard that before. But, that was the thing. He'd never said that to her before. Not even anything like it. This was the first time he had vowed to open up that she'd believed him. It was the first time he promised to stay with her.

So why did she know that she'd heard him say those exact words before?

Hiei was waiting for her answer, oblivious to the turmoil that raged within her. Slowly, carefully, she recounted for him the deja vu feeling she was feeling, and every feeling she'd felt in the last month or so that she could remember.

When Ashley finally glanced back up at him, having focused on one of the trees in the distance that moved in the breeze that had been left over from the storm, his expression showed notes of worry and frustration. She didn't even have to ask. "You've been feeling it, too."

He nodded. "And I feel it now." His thumb had stopped stroking the back of her hand.

"I mean," Ashley began, thinking out loud. "What are the odds? What are the odds that we'd experience deja vu at the exact same time? I mean, it almost feels like we've been here bef-"

She stuttered to a halt, knowledge flowing over her like a damn breaking. _We_ _'ve been here before._

"Ashley?" Hiei's concern struck through her thoughts like an anvil.

Slowly, carefully, and trying not to panic, she repeated, "Like we've been here before."

Whatever thought Hiei had, it rooted him to the ground, and Ashley could feel the air around her growing hotter and hotter with each passing moment. "Hiei?" Now it was her turn to be concerned.

He gripped her hand, like he was afraid she might disappear. "I've heard something similar," he ground out. "Where have you heard it?"

The intensity in his glare held her in place. "My sister, Sophia, has been sending me photos of the house - the ghosts have been writing that on the wall: _We_ _'ve been here before._ "

"Your sister?"

His intensity was overwhelming. "Yes, Sophia." When he kept glaring, she continued, knowing it wasn't directed at her. "She keeps the House in order. The one that my ancestors still haunt - Oh, don't look at me like that; I feel like I told you about this way back when. Back when we first met."

He didn't say anything, but rather released her hand and stepped away from the edge where they'd been standing. He paced, running a hand through his hair. "Hiei?"

"I need to have a talk with your ancestors," he said forcefully.

Did he realize that London was half a world away? "What, _tonight_?"

"No," he said, turning back to her to meet her gaze before looking away from her again. He was restless, like a stallion getting ready to bolt. "Bjorn's gone for the night. Kuwabara will be here tomorrow. I'll go then."

 **-** _ **End of Chapter Twenty-Five**_ **-**

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 **AND WE FINALLY HAVE 25! This chapter clocks in as my longest yet. My second longest, which until this chapter was my longest chapter - chapter 23 - clocks in at9,103. Chapter 25 is 14,051 words. Author** **'s note not included.**

 **I am So Sorry this is late. I am a terrible person and usually don** **'t start writing until the weekend of posting, or in this case, day of. I realized very quickly that this chapter was going to be a monstrosity and would not have enough time to write it in one single afternoon. I am not that talented. So, I posted on my profile and on my tumblr that it would be out today, and here it is! There's so much information here, dear god. I hope you caught all of it. If not, never fear, it'll all come up again later, and hopefully you'll be surprised then.**

 **And we** **'ve finally figured out one major plot point, or at least some of it. I'm so excited I finally get to share it with you! Writing that scene at the end gave me CHILLS.**

 **I** **'ve come to the conclusion that I get chapters out more frequently on Sundays, so my posting schedule is going to shift by a day. Next chapter, Chapter 26,** _ **The Connection,**_ **will be posted June 15.**

 **Also, this story got some amazing reviews since chapter 24! Thank you to WithLoveSammiV, JohnGreenGirl, Typha, Tsarashi, and my Guest reviewer! Typha, you were my number 100 reviewer, and I've now officially passed 100 reviews! Thank you for helping me reach that milestone! I don** **'t have anything to give you because I lack talent in anything that's not office organization, writing, photography, or burning things in the kitchen, so please accept my overwhelming thanks instead. I hope you guys enjoyed 25 and leave me a comment if you did!**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	26. The Connection

**Warnings: mention of suicidal thoughts**

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Chapter Twenty-Six

 _The Connection_

Genkai held the phone in her gnarled hands, lips pursed, studying the photograph. " _We_ _'ve been here before_." The phrase was fully formed in the last text Sophia had sent to her only a week ago, right before she was taken.

"Well, it's certainly strange," the old woman began, handing the phone back to Ashley as she crossed her arms over her chest, "and worth checking out. Hiei. Take Kuwabara with you when he gets here later. I'd like this little worry put to bed before anything else happens with the Legion. For now, though," she leveled her gaze at Ashley, "It's time for our training session."

Ashley followed Genkai outside, groggy from lack of sleep. After she and Hiei had put two and two together, or what little they had of two and two, they went back to the temple, sneaking in while everyone was already asleep, and made their way to their room. Ashley had caught Hiei's arm as he tried to make for Genkai's room. "What good will it do waking her up now? We've just had a thought, is all, and there's nothing to be done about it now."

He'd consented, and changed the position of his arm so that he was no longer being tugged by her, but he had taken her hand into his as he led them to his room.

Her hands. Soft and delicate. Perfect for playing the piano she so loved. Untouched by violence and hardship.

He laid next to her in bed. And although he desperately wanted to do something more, he followed her lead, which was just to lay in bed until they both fell asleep. Which didn't come quickly.

As soon as the sun rose Hiei stirred to life, and slipped carefully around Ashley's sleeping form. Getting dressed, though, must have woken her because by the time he donned his pants and sleeveless shirt and turned for his sword, he captured her gaze.

"Were you really planning on sneaking away?" She asked, but there was no hurt in her voice. Not like the night before. Her hand was tucked under her face, hair messy from sleep.

"You need to sleep when you can," he replied instead. "I'm going to go on to Genkai."

"Well that's okay; I'll go with you. Let me just put on clothes." She pulled herself out of bed, stifling a yawn. "I'm sorry I haven't been more help." She apologized and looked away as she stood and made for her closet.

What was he supposed to say? "You… just need to learn how to control your power… helping will come." That was good, right?

She didn't respond, but instead pulled on a pair of shorts and sweater, and followed him through the hallways. With the possibility of others awake, he didn't take her hand. They found Genkai relatively easily, and told her what they knew.

Now, it was time to wait for Kuwabara to arrive. Kuwabara would likely be a few more hours, and the impatience ate away at Hiei. He found a tree branch easily enough, and watched Ashley train to take his mind off of it.

They only got a few rounds in before a call reached his ears. "Miss Ashley?"

Her name caught Ashley's attention, below, as well. "Ren?" she called back, much to Genkai's annoyance. "Tetsuya?"

"Girl! Back in position! We'll break when I say we break." Ashley quickly retained form, and the two demons from her class stayed at the tree line.

Hiei watched them as Genkai coached Ashley how to maintain her form as she called her power to the surface. It was child's play. Decades ago, when he was a child, it was less taught and more figured out. If he couldn't figure out how to control his own ability, he would be killed. It was the same among most of the demons who dotted the tree line. Learn to defend yourself or be killed. Having the luxury of not having to figure out their own power until later when someone taught you wasn't even an option.

It was hours before Genkai let Ashley break, and by then, a certain orange carrot-top had appeared on the porch, Yukina hovering next to him. Hiei saw them talk with Genkai as Ashley made her way over to the two demons who had caught her attention earlier. As much as Hiei wanted to get on over to London and figure out what the hell was going on, Ashley came first, and he gathered his energy - a simple technique at this point - and sprinted to Ashley's side. "What are you doing here?" Ashley asked as Ren and Tetsuya were immediately put off by Hiei's sudden appearance.

"Don't worry," Hiei growled. "I'm not going to cart you off to Spirit World even though I should." Tetsuya looked appeased, even if Ren didn't. They were both B-class demons, and had snuck through the barrier after Shono had opened it all those years ago. They had been two that he had been assigned to track down.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Tetsuya asked Ashley as Ren watched Hiei askance.

"Well," Ashley began and stumbled. She obviously had no idea how to explain any of it, looking back to Hiei for guidance. "I, uh… I seem to have developed an ability or an affinity, I think Genkai described it…"

"Really." Ren asked forcefully, glaring outright at Hiei. He returned the favor, knowing exactly what she was implying and hating her for it.

It took every ounce of his self control not to lash out at her. But they were both Ashley's students, and that would be rude, as Kurama would say.

"What's your affinity?" Tetsuya asked, either oblivious or ignoring the tension between his mate and Hiei.

Again, Ashley stumbled. It was annoying, even as he tried to have patience with her; why couldn't she just have confidence in her ability?

"Well, uh, Genkai described it as electricity. Like, my spiritual power naturally seeks out electricity more than anything else." She paused, sparing a glance back at Hiei. He caught it and raised a brow. "She said that demons have affinities like that for different elements, as well."

Well, that explained why she looked at him. At some point he had missed that conversation, and he had thought he'd kept her under a hawk's watch since they arrived.

Tetsuya, however, was nodding. "No, that makes sense, though I've never heard it described with that term before. Ren is a wind demon."

At that, the petite woman perked up, her name having caught her attention. "That's right!" she exclaimed, cheeky smile lighting her eyes. "But Tetsuya is a Strongarm, too."

That caught Hiei's attention, the term _Strongarm_ taking him back to Mako's memories. Demon World was a large place. It likely wasn't possible that Tetsuya knew the Takeshi from Mako's life.

Ashley, however, stood in indignant surprise. "I can't believe I've known both of you this long and didn't know this about you," she said, mostly to herself.

Ren just grinned. "You never asked," she teased.

"Ashley!" Genkai's call caught their attention, making them look over. Genkai stood with Kuwabara and Yukina. Kuwabara had a glint in his eye that he only ever took on when he was serious about something. Or as serious as the oaf got. Genkai must have filled him in. Even if Genkai didn't show her discomfort with the situation, Kuwabara definitely did.

"Be right there!" she replied, and turned back to her English students. "I've got to get back to it. She's like a drill instructor."

"What is it she's having you do?" Ren asked, eying Genkai across the clearing.

Ashley merely shrugged. "Right now we're focusing on drawing my energy into my hands and being able to use it in an attack. Although, I'm kind of having issues with it."

Although as Ashley spoke, Ren tried to hide an expression that clearing said, " _oh dear god._ " But she still forced a smile and said, "Well if you need any help, let me know. I might be able to give you some pointers." Hiei didn't need to read her mind to know that her thoughts took her down the same path that his did. Ashley would already be dead if they were in Demon World.

"Oh, that'd be great!" Ashley replied instead. "Maybe this afternoon? Genkai usually lets me have a break just after lunch?"

Hiei didn't say it aloud, but Ren's family was one of the most prominent clans in Gandara. If he couldn't be the one to teach Ashley how to control her ability, or affinity, rather, Ren was a good substitute.

As they parted ways, and Hiei and Ashley made their way back over to where Genkai and the others stood, Bjorn having joined them at some point, Ashley leaned over to Hiei. "I'll always accept pointers from you, too."

It was clear she was trying to ask him to train her again, but the teasing glint she had in her eye and the way she smiled at him, said that she was trying to flirt with him, too. This close to the others, he didn't indulge.

"I've filled Kuwabara in," Genkai said as they reached the others. "You should leave as soon as you can. Girl. Let's get back to your training." Genkai marched off, and as Yukina enveloped Kuwabara in a sweet embrace that made Hiei feel the need to turn away, Ashley stood a respectable distance away.

"Tell Sophia hi for me, will you?" She asked, her hands clasped in front of her. She was picking at a thread in her sleeve. "I texted her this morning to let her know that you were coming but the reception out here is spotty, so I don't know if she got it."

Hiei didn't know how to close the distance between them, but he nodded, and hesitated. Did he need to embrace her as his sister had embraced Kuwabara? Did she want to be embraced by him?

He didn't need to toss the idea around for too long. As Hiei turned to go, she closed the space between them, embracing Hiei around his waist.

As much as he enjoyed it, he also desperately wanted her to stop. The others would be watching. He pulled back almost immediately, hissing, "I've asked you not to do that in public."

Hurt flashed across Ashley's expression, but she didn't bother hiding it. "I thought things had changed after last night…" she trailed off, tears swimming in her eyes, and immediately he felt like an ass, and wanted to pull her close again, but she'd stepped out of his range, and if he embraced her now, he'd only draw more attention to them. "I'm sorry I assumed. Have a safe trip!"

She walked away from him, back toward Genkai, swiping at her eyes as he felt Kuwabara's presence come up behind him. Turning, he saw that Yukina had already disappeared. "Ready?"

Kuwabara didn't tease him, or comment on anything he might have seen, for which Hiei was grateful. At least not before they stepped through Bjorn's portal and it closed behind them.

"You know, sometimes it's sappy the way Yukina wants to show me affection," Kuwabara began before Hiei could cut him off. "But it's the fact that she wants to show me she loves me is why I let her do it. She's choosing me, in front of everyone else. Hey, let me finish-" he overran Hiei's protests - "Out of all the guys out there, she chose me, and continues choosing me, even when people might be watching. Not going to comment on you and Ashley, but I thought I'd let you know."

Kuwabara's statement, however he'd meant it, was very pointedly directed at him and Ashley, and honestly, he'd never thought about it like that before.

Sure, Kuwabara had always had a more open appreciation for public affection, having openly courted his sister for years, but Hiei had never thought about Yukina's part in it. Yukina, who was always a very private person, openly embracing her significant other. That spoke volumes. But Hiei stayed silent.

The street stretched empty before them. Autumn had already begun claiming leaves as they turned from green to red, and fell to the street in brown piles around them. While it had been cool from a human's perspective back in Japan, in Pleckly, England, it was even colder, and Kuwabara immediately began shivering. Trees lined the street, as houses stacked neatly next to each other bordered them on either side. He'd been to London before, with their houses all squished together, sharing the same walls and the same roofs. The houses out here, though, all had their own plot of land and their own space.

Hiei took out the piece of paper that Ashley had scribbled the address for him on: _703 Whiteborough Lane._ Her handwriting was neat and almost bubbly, and it only sent a pain through him that he'd been such a dick to her before they left. She didn't deserve that. Not after what she'd just been though earlier in the week. Hell, she didn't deserve that from him period. Even when he wanted to be mad and frustrated with her and stew in it, she still worked to bridge them back together. She deserved more from him.

Well, they were on Whiteborough, as indicated by the street signs to their right. "Let's go," Hiei merely said, beginning to walk down the street.

As they moved however, Kuwabara fell back more and more. By the time Hiei finally came to a halt, turning toward him in frustration, Kuwabara merely said, "This whole place… Hiei, this entire street gives me the tickle feeling! I-I think it's more than just this street, too. Hiei. I think it's the _city_."

Hiei, honestly, wasn't sure what to do with that information, except stay on the defense. If the entire city was reaching Kuwabara's sixth sense, what was the House going to do?

As he looked back at the house nearest them, the number, 703 caught his attention. Matching it to the piece of paper in his hand, he pushed the white picket gate open, and left it open for Kuwabara to follow him.

The house in front of him was two-story, but compact. Steps led up to the small porch and a red door. In front of the steps were two rosebushes, as well as along the body of the white house. A single tree, painted red and gold with autumn stood watch outside the house. Bay windows traveled from the ground, to the second story, to even the third-story or the attic, but what looked to be a figure of a woman stood at the window.

A breeze passed, touching Hiei's cheek and ruffling his hair, and the next moment the woman was gone.

"You saw that, right?" Hiei carefully asked Kuwabara.

"Uh huh."

A woman stood at the rosebushes, shears in hand, trimming away the growth and dead twigs. She turned as they entered through the gate. She was all skirts and large brown curls, her cheeks rosy from the cold, but immediately Hiei could see the family resemblance.

"Ah! Here already?" she exclaimed and hastily put down her shears, wiping her hands on the apron she wore. "I thought you might be another week, but that's no issue!" She smiled, dimples forming at the corners of her mouth, and stuck her hand between them as a greeting. Kuwabara took it. "It's so great to see you both. I'm Sophia."

She turned toward Hiei after Kuwabara introduced himself, but Hiei didn't say a word. "You must be Hiei," she said, clasping her hands in front of her in the way that Ashley so often did. "It's lovely to see you again."

"Again?" Hiei growled, latching onto the word immediately. They had never met, nor even had a phone conversation, even as much as Ashley would talk to her sister in front of him. She always promised to introduce them one day, though.

Sophia merely huffed a sigh. "Let's go in, why don't we, and I'll answer your questions. Please, come in!"

Kuwabara followed Sophia more aptly than Hiei did, right on her heels as she led them up the steps and into the house itself. Hiei, however, paused before the steps and glanced up toward the attic, but the woman from before had left the window.

As soon as he followed Kuwabara and Sophia and stepped over the threshold, he was immediately struck by the creepiness of the entire building. It seemed that Kuwabara was in overload mode, stiff as a board and his gaze jumping from object to object.

Sophia, however, didn't seem to notice their discomfort. "Shall I put on a pot of tea? Are you hungry?" She called from the kitchen, just past the staircase that drew their eyes upward. To their left was a study crammed with books and stones and lamps. The desk was covered in papers, though of what, neither Hiei or Kuwabara approached to see the subject matter. To their right was a sitting room. Bookcases covered the back wall, and a little stove sat in the corner, untouched for however many years, with an old wooden rocking chair next to it. The bay windows looked out on the garden they had just come from, a small bench built into the windows. The sitting area itself had a large oriental-type rug that sat beneath an armchair, coffee table, and a couch that was pushed against the wall. More books were crammed onto the bookshelves - how many books did this family feel they had to own? - and objects decorated the shelves were there were no books. A spyglass, photos of the family throughout the years, a pocket watch, and vases, to name a few. Taxidermy ducks hung from the walls and decorated a marble-topped table that sat between the armchair and the couch. A lamp was turned on on the table, along with _more_ dusty books, and a manila folder, that looked like it had only just been handled. Where there weren't taxidermy ducks on the walls, shadow boxes hung like picture frames, their contents hanging inside, untouched by however many decades it had been: pearls, gloves, a brooch, lace, scissors, movie tickets. Even some silver platters were hanging on the walls.

It was like an organized hoarder's home. Every item that might have carried some significance seemed to decorate the room, and from the looks of the study as well, this type of decoration might very well cover the entire house.

"Is there anyone else here?" Kuwabara asked as Sophia came back and set another silver tray on the coffee table with a steaming pot of tea that looked a hundred years old and some cookies.

"Oh, no," Sophia replied, "Just me today. Daniel needed to visit his family in the city. He just lost his sister a few weeks ago."

"But we saw someone in the window upstairs. On the third floor?"

"That was probably just Emma. She tends to wander when there are guests. She was always very shy when she was living, you see, and actually hated to entertain!" she laughed, as if it was the funniest thing in the world. When both Hiei and Kuwabara stayed silent, she tried to explain. "Well, women of that generation were expected to entertain. But since she hated it so much, the people of Pluckley stayed away to the point that there was a rumor that the house was haunted. The entire city is haunted of course, but it allowed Emma to keep to herself. Especially after Annabelle died."

Her explanation did nothing to quell Kuwabara's tickle feeling. Hiei could tell he was on edge, which only heightened his alertness as well. Hiei hovered by the entrance to the sitting room, unable to shake the feeling that they were being watched. From the corner of his eye, up the stairs, he could have sworn he saw a figure walking by, but when he looked, there was nothing. A chill rose the hairs on the back of his neck, and he shifted, uncomfortably.

Sophia sat in the armchair as Kuwabara slowly made his way to the couch, admiring all the different trinkets. "You know, Sophia," Kuwabara said as he made himself comfortable. Even as comfortable as he tried to be, Hiei could imagine that whatever discomfort he was feeling, it was a hundred times worse for the oaf. He'd always had an affinity for the supernatural. And this house was filled with it. It made Hiei's skin crawl. "You could open up a psychic business here. It would definitely fit with the decor."

"Ah!" Sophia exclaimed, and clapped her hands together once. Hiei noticed she did that a lot. "Well, you see, I'd make a rather poor psychic. At least in the future-telling bits. That's my brother's specialty. I can only tell pasts and presents, which no one really is interested in hearing."

Something in what she said caught Kuwabara's attention. "Wait. Say that again?"

A smile quirked at her lips. "What I said was that I can only tell you the past or the present. Does that interest you?"

Even as engrossed in their conversation as they were, Hiei had the distinct feeling like she was testing Kuwabara.

"No, it's just…" he rubbed a hand around his neck, sheepishly. "Something you said reminded me of something else. That's all."

Sophia smiled when Kuwabara looked away. It was a sly, knowing sort of smile. "You see, I think _you_ _'ve_ heard this before Hiei," she turned in her seat to face him. "Why don't you sit down?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Well, you see, all of the Evans family has some sort of gift with the supernatural. My brother, while he's not entirely talented, he _is_ useful. I've always just known things, which has only deepened since… and my sister has always had an affinity for the supernatural beyond both Oliver and I. There's a saying that says that the youngest Evans child is always the most powerful. Which is why it was so odd that Ashley chose not to take over the house after her graduation. In fact, she wants nothing to do with it. Tell me, how's her training going? It's really about time that she embraced her power rather than say she's not spiritually inclined. We all know that's a lie. Is it true she made a tree explode?"

The air in the room disappeared.

Hiei recovered first and moved to grip the top of the armchair.

"How do you know about that?" He snarled at the same time Kuwabara asked, "You're a Connection, aren't you?"

Sophia only smiled at Hiei and pointed at Kuwabara. "I was wondering how long it would take you to notice."

"Yeah, Hiei," Kuwabara said, adjusting how he was sitting on the couch, almost nervously. "Genkai told me about them when I first started training under her. They're called something else traditionally… I can't remember it, though. But they exist both apart from time and within time." While he was speaking, both Sophia and Hiei watched him. "They know everything that happens." Sophia only spoke when he was done.

"He's right you know."

"Why didn't you tell us outright?" Hiei hissed, stepping back.

"I couldn't."

"What do you mean you couldn't?"

"Just that. A Connection isn't allowed to tell others. We exist in all three worlds. Used to, chiefs would use us to help protect the tribe or the clan, or the town, but now, we are usually shunned. In the middle ages we were burned as witches. Our one rule is that we are unable to share the knowledge we gain with others unless they figure it out first." She shrugged. "I had to wait until one of you spoke it aloud before I could tell you myself. Which is really only a compounding on my ability already. I've always known things. Even Before. It made dating very hard, let me tell you that." When neither seemed particularly convinced, she said plainly: "Anything that is spoken aloud, whether in the present or in the past, I know. I know it in the same way that I know the sun is going to rise or that the sky is blue. No one had to tell me. It's just knowledge that comes to me and I know like someone told me outright."

"You said there are Connections in every world?" Kuwabara asked, finally picking up a cup of tea and sipping on it. "This is really good by the way!"

"Oh, thank you! But yes. There are Connections in every world." Sophia turned back to where Hiei stood. "I believe you've already met Amma at your most recent trip to Spirit World. Have you found the people she told you to find?"

This woman was ridiculous. _How_ she knew that was beyond him. "We just want to know why you keep sending Ashley the photos about the writing on the wall. ' _We_ _'ve been here before._ ' What is that?"

She sighed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's all connected, Hiei."

"What's connected?" He spat. "You keep talking in riddles, just the same as Amma did-"

"Hiei. Maybe we need to let her explain in the way that she can?" The oaf was incredible. Hiei resisted the urge to strange him.

"I've been trying to get my sister's attention on this for three years. She's never noticed before. You both experienced deja vu, right?" Sophia asked, settling back into the chair. "I would think it has something to do with that."

"Yes, but _what_? You _know_ what it is." Honestly, he could strangle them both.

"I do know what it is, but I cannot say." She replied. She opened her mouth to speak again, and closed it when no sound came out. "And even if I did, I don't think you would believe me."

"Well, you're right about that."

She glared at him. "The person you're looking for has been in Ashley's life all along. He attends her class twice a week."

"That's all you can tell me?"

"Yes." Sophia replied, but watching Hiei she finally said aloud, "You don't believe me, do you? You don't believe that I have this power."

"No."

She sighed, and sat at the edge of her seat. "What can I do to convince you?"

The answer was obvious. "Let me read you."

"With the Jagan?" Hiei merely nodded. "Oh, that won't work."

Frustration mounted again. "Why?" The question was forceful.

"Well, I'm not really sure the reason _why_ , but I know it won't."

Who was this woman? She was definitely Ashley's sister, that much was certain, but who was she to tell him what he could and couldn't do? Without reaching back to untie his headband, he unleashed the power of the Jagan onto Sophia.

With Ashley, he had felt her push back. Her defense, although weak, was stubborn, and tried to put up mental blocks to keep him out.

With Sophia, it was different. There were no mental blocks, there just wasn't anything to read. There were her memories growing up, and her memories with Daniel that flew past him with speed as he looked for the thing that would identify her as a Connection, or whatever the fuck it was that she claimed she was, but anything relating to her ability was fuzzy; like it existed in multiple places. Any knowledge she had existed behind this fuzziness, and no matter how hard he pushed at it, the fuzziness remained, like static interrupting a tv, eventually forcing an acute pain into the center of his forehead, right where the Jagan had been implanted.

With a grunt, he pulled the Jagan's energy away from Sophia, withdrawing it into the safety of his own being, but the pain remained; the only evidence that he had that Sophia was something _other_.

He'd never not been able to read another person.

Kuwabara must have realized what was going on and piped up, "Why don't you tell us something we don't know?" He was obviously trying to be helpful.

"Ah, that's a wonderful idea. Would you like to go first?" She stood, her skirt flowing around her shins. She didn't even mention having been assaulted by the Jagan, which honestly made Hiei wonder if she'd felt him in her mind at all.

Kuwabara, taken aback by her sudden rise, stammered, "Wh-Why are you standing?"

"Well, generally, when I read people, they don't like for the others in their presence to learn of what they hear. Things can get private." She said it as if it was matter-of-fact, but Hiei was still dubious. Still he waited in the sitting room as Sophia pulled Kuwabara into the hallway.

They were gone for five or ten minutes, and while they were gone, Hiei chose to look around the room, taking in a the little objects. Nothing in the room particularly stood out to him, except the ducks. The ducks definitely got under his skin.

Soft voices reached him from the hallway, and a moment later, Kuwabara strode back into the room. "Wow, Hiei!" He exclaimed, beaming, "She's really good."

Sophia stood at the doorway, hands clasped in front of her. "Your turn, Hiei?"

He swiftly crossed and exited the room, breezing past Sophia without much of an acknowledgment.

Once in the hallway, she took his hand between hers, her skin gentle and smooth against his. She held it there, between them in the darkened hallway, her eyes taking on a far-off look as she read him.

The seconds ticked into minutes, which ticked into five minutes, then ten. "Did you guys die out there?" Kuwabara hollered from the other room.

"We're fine!" Hiei called back over his shoulder. When he looked back at Sophia, she had shifted to gaze right at him.

Or rather, _through_ him. The expression she wore was a cross between pity and understanding.

Immediately, Hiei yanked his hand back. She didn't try to stop him, but instead said, "After the first Dark Tournament, you felt lost. What were you supposed to do now? What purpose did you have?" The words cemented him to the floor as he braced himself for what was to come next; what always came next on dark nights when he was alone. The memory of that time in his life. As much as he didn't want to hear her say it, a morbid curiosity overtook him. "You considered taking your own life."

She continued without pausing. "More recently, and something you've never shared with anyone - when you saw the demon Mako's memories - his relationship with Takeshi stood out to you. You're jealous…no," she fumbled with the words. "Envious - that's the better word - of what they had. You want that for yourself but are afraid you're not worthy.

"You've never had a relationship like that and are afraid you may make mistakes, but want that with Ashley. I think you should try. She'll still love you, even through any mistakes you may make."

"Still?" Hiei caught the word immediately and the question tumbled past his lips before he had a chance to think them over. "What do you mean, 'still'?"

Sophia stuttered. "Still? Still what?"

"You said she'd still love me. What does that mean?"

"Wait," Sophia paused, one hand held up between them, watching him as she tried to figure it out. "She hasn't told you?"

Hiei merely glared at her. _What on earth did she mean by still?_

"Well," Sophia finally let her hand fall, surprise written across her face, which slowly morphed into an embarrassment similar to the one Ashley often took when she said too much and tried to play it off as nothing. "She does. She told _someone_ that; I just assumed it was you!" In that moment, the family resemblance was too strong. "Well, cat's out of the bag now! Surprise! I'm sorry, though," she finally relented. "Even with being a Connection, I can't always tell who says what."

Without pausing to dignify Sophia's embarrassment, Hiei asked the other question that was bugging him. "So is that your psychic power, too? Knowing what she'll do?"

Sophia sobered, following Hiei's lead. "No," she replied evenly. "That's being her sister and knowing who she is…. Don't be afraid to take risks. It's likely she's been holding back waiting for you, too."

With that, she passed by him, walking back to the sitting room like she expected him to follow, which he did, but he took his time.

Sophia sat back in her chair, letting Hiei sit on the couch first. He had to admit, it was comfortable. Still - and he looked askance at Sophia - something about her just felt… off.

He pushed his energy out to hers, to get a reading on her, but that was the thing. Just like with the Jagan, she felt fuzzy around the edges, her energy did. Like she really wasn't completely there in that moment.

"You said to tell you something that no one else knows, and I did," Sophia finally said, watching Hiei. Her gaze was like a hawk.

"Well," Hiei began, throwing up his defenses. "You should have done it differently."

"Okay, then if you don't believe me, read this." She took the manila folder that was sitting on the coffee table beside where she sat and handed it to Hiei.

"What is this?" He didn't need to ask. As soon as it was in his hands he knew what it was, even though he'd never held one before, or seen one before. The gravity that this object held was beyond this world. He hadn't noticed the energy within it before, but as soon as he touched it, he was floored by it. "Where did you get this?"

"Where does it look like I got it?" Sophia asked, her tone even and hard; all seriousness.

"You're not supposed to have this," Hiei said as Kuwabara was looking at the object and made to touch it as well. Hiei let him, and immediately he yanked his hand away.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me any other way." Sophia said, touching the folder with two fingers. "I snuck into the Spirit World vault and stole this. I'll return it of course, but you had to go through my reading to take this with any face value," she said, explaining his next question before he even spoke.

The power that radiated off her was nearly overwhelming.

She was a Connection. That was certain.

Silence reigned. Hiei had seen the name written on the tab of the file and was rendered incapable of moving. "Why is this Ashley's file?"

She didn't say anything for a moment. "You need to see what's in there."

He didn't open it, not right away, feeling all eyes on him, but slowly, painstakingly slow, he slipped his thumb under the front cover of the file, and opened it.

Sure enough, Ashley's photo stared back at him from one side of the file, her hair a little shorter, a little more weight in her face. He realized, then, that this photo was from a few years previously. This was not the Ashley he knew now. Below her photo were her personality traits (all of which he knew with glaring intimacy), blood type, height, address, and so many more small details that no one but the government should know. As his eyes scanned the other side of the file, written in with notes throughout her life, he paused when he reached page three.

Heart hammering in his ears, the world around him narrowed until the note written on the page was the only thing he could see.

 _Date of Death: March 31, 2017._

 _Cause: Knife wound._

It had been a long time since Hiei had felt nauseous about anything, but seeing that, it made his stomach turn.

"Keep reading," Sophia said softly beside him.

Before she spoke he was already reading the rest of the page. Common sense told him that if there was a date of death, that was it. No more notes. Maybe something about their entrance into Spirit World, but beneath her date of death, were more notes. Notes that started with a different date. Even though the entire file before the date had been in chronological order, after the date, it was as if more notes had been made, as if someone had forgotten to record previous events.

"Hey, man, read it aloud, will you?" Kuwabara asked, straining to see the file in Hiei's hands.

Unable to do anything except react, Hiei read, "Date of death: March 31, 2017. Cause: knife wound. Next entry: August 2011: Begins high school. Location: Britain. Next entry: June 2013: accepted into Dean's College." He began reading them faster, his mind finally catching up. "May 2014: graduates high school. August 2014: begins university at Cambridge… What - What is this?"

Sophia took the file from his hands, and he let the file go without protest. She began reading aloud for Kuwabara's benefit, he was sure, "December 31, 1996: Born to parents, Wright, Susan Evans and Wright, William Winston. Two older siblings. See: Wright, Oliver Winston and Wright, Sophia McKenzie. August 2011: Begins high school. Location: Japan. August 2014: begins university at Oxford. July 2015: Meets demon, Hiei Jaganashi," Hiei, as he heard this, froze, but Sophia continued, "October 21, 2015: Organizes student-led organization, _Coexist_ , to improve relations and spread tolerance between humans and demons of student population. Date of death: March 31, 2017. Cause: Knife wound.

"And then it continues where Hiei was reading," Sophia said, finally closing the file.

Kuwabara spoke it aloud before Hiei could find words. "If that's true, then time went backwards."

Sophia merely nodded.

"But that's impossible."

"Not to someone who has the ability - or affinity, I think you call it - to manipulate time."

"But they'd have to be really, really powerful."

"You are correct."

The dots were connecting, and it left Hiei feeling powerless. It was a shitty feeling, one that he hated to his very core.

This was all impossible.

There was something else, too. "Sophia," Hiei began, finding his voice. "Spirit World won't be forgiving if they find out you did this."

She merely nodded, as if she knew this already. But of course she would know. She still held Ashley's file. "Oh, I'm aware," she said, the gravity of what she'd done evident in her voice. "Connections are allowed to hint at things, but to give concrete answers and leads are strictly forbidden. I knew what the consequences would be, and I know they'll be even more dire now that I've told the two of you."

"But Sophia, maybe if you tell Spirit World why you did this it'll help?" Kuwabara asked. His tea remained untouched. "And you technically didn't tell us."

She laughed, once, without humor. "They don't care; they only care about others following their rules. But you have to understand, both of you," she leveled her gaze at them, serious once more. "I've known this has happened since we first went back nine years ago. I've known who did this, and I've waited for Ashley to figure it out. She hasn't, though, and the time line started varying vastly. In the last three years, I started creating hauntings, hoping she would get the message, but she hasn't yet, even though I know she has it within her to understand. But now that I have your attention, you _need_ to find the man responsible for this time manipulation. I've been keeping tabs on the Legion and Guardians for years, and something is coming. Something that will leave no second chances. If you don't find him, Ashley _will_ die before next winter. I can't have that happen. Not again."

"We'll find him, don't worry!" Kuwabara exclaimed, but Hiei's mind was on something else.

"You said something before, and something else just now," he began, trying to concentrate on anything except trying to figure out which of Ashley's students it could be. "Something about Ashley having the ability to understand, and before - about being the strongest of the Evans children. I've tested her myself. She doesn't have what you say he has."

Sophia merely smiled. It was a smile full of knowledge and frustration. "As I'm sure you've noticed, Hiei, my sister has a stubbornness and willfulness that is unrivaled except maybe by you." Hiei felt the jab, but let it slide. "What she wants to hide and bury, she will bury it even if it's by stubbornness alone. But I want you to ask her: How did she know that it was Annabelle who pushed her down the stairs?"

"Wait," Kuwabara pushed in. "Who's Annabelle, and she pushed Ashley down the stairs?"

Sophia nodded. "Ashley often uses that story as to why she doesn't come to the house often, that she was pushed down the stairs by Annabelle as a child while they were playing hide and go seek. She broke her leg, and never willfully came back, even though before the time manipulation she was preparing herself to take over watching the House and honing her psychic ability. Her electricity manifested at only sixteen years old. Her psychic abilities in general manifested at six. Annabelle died at ten years old, but she was the only one of our ancestors who could match Ashley by power alone. And she has never been one to take an insult sitting down, even as a dead ten year old." The implication was pointed.

Something shattered in the other room.

Sophia called over her shoulder. "You know it's true! Stop acting like a brat!"

The room chilled, and the hairs rose on the back of Hiei's neck again.

"Anyway," Sophia said, turning back to the two at hand. "I better let you both get back." She stood, smoothing her skirt, and they followed her lead, heading toward the door. Outside, Kuwabara bounded down the stairs, as if excited to get away from the House. Hiei couldn't blame him, but still hesitated on the porch. Sophia stood in the door, looking drained.

"I'll find him," he admitted aloud, promising her. Promising himself. He had to find him. "I won't let anything happen to Ashley. I promise."

"Thank you, Hiei," she replied, watching Kuwabara below. "You've done amazingly so far. I have a theory about that, actually." When he didn't move, she continued. "You lost her once. Your subconscious doesn't want to lose her again."

That made sense. More so than anything he'd thought of. Since day one that Dion had threatened her, he'd felt an overwhelming urge to protect her at any cost.

Still, he didn't say it aloud, and when he turned to go she spoke again. "By the way, if you ever need me, we're connected now since you tried to read me with the Jagan. Even if we're out of range distance-wise, you'll be able to reach me. It's part of the perks of being a Connection.

"Also, and I don't really know how to say this," she began, and stepped closer to him, lowering her voice so that Kuwabara and any listening spirits might not hear. "Ashley face a choice she needs to make soon. Please respect her decision, even if it's hard."

Dread pooled in his stomach. "Of course I will," he ground out, though, his pride a little hurt that Sophia might think him to do anything else. "You keep telling us things that you shouldn't know about. Hints at the future. But you said you only know the past and present."

The question was there, and Sophia adopted a mischievous glint in her eye, so similar to Ashley that he was struck, again, by how similar they were, even if they were a few years apart. "I have my source," she teased, but said no more.

Knowing that was all he would get out of her, he left to join Kuwabara in the front garden of the House.

"Have you already called Bjorn?" Hiei asked.

He nodded. "Portal's coming. What are we going to tell Ashley?"

Hiei sucked in a breath. Being blindsided was not something he was used to. "Nothing specific. Time has gone back. That's all we know. She doesn't need to be told that she's supposed to be dead. Not after everything else."

Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."

The portal opened up before them, Bjorn calling them back. With a last glance toward the House and Sophia on the front porch, Hiei stepped through with Kuwabara at his side, to be met with Genkai's training grounds, and Ashley blocking an attack from Tetsuya. Ren and Genkai stood on the porch with Yukina.

Tetsuya. He was one of the ones in Ashley's Tuesday and Thursday class. A Strongarm, but was it possible that he had time manipulation within him? It would take a powerful demon, or human, to turn all three worlds back. He stepped in between Ashley and Tetsuya, "Was it you?" He snarled, although he knew he should be thankful for him, whomever the time manipulation master was, all he could feel was rage.

"What are you talking about?" Tetsuya growled, thrown off by a second person entering his sparring match. Tetsuya tried to step around Hiei. "Look, Ashley and I are having a match, so if you don't mind…"

Hiei didn't wait for him to finish. He saw Tetsuya try to walk around him, and something inside him snapped. "WAS IT YOU?" he bellowed, on Tetsuya in an instant, his blow sending the much-taller demon into a nearby tree.

"Hiei!" Ashley yelled, but he didn't have time to wait for her to explain herself. He crossed the field in an instant.

"Fuck!" Tetsuya groaned, trying to stand. "What was that about-"

Hiei's hand closed around Tetsuya's windpipe. "Was it you? Huh?" He snarled into Tetsuya's face. He was the larger, demon, sure, but Hiei had power on his side. And right at that moment, he wanted nothing less to take out his frustration against him.

She had _died_.

Rage blinded him, and he pulled back a fist, only to feel a hand clench his shoulder. He started to turn and aim his punch to them, but the next thing he knew he was on the ground, his body spasming uncontrollably. "Hiei!" Ashley shouted from above him. "What the fuck?"

"W-Wh-Wha-t… d-did… you-"

"Ashley learned how to incapacitate her attackers with a touch, today, Hiei. How kind of you to ask," came Genkai's unimpressed drawl. "I think it's time we debrief in my study, don't you?" She turned to Ashley, ignoring Hiei twitching on the ground. "Good job today. You learn faster than the dimwit at least. Consider the rest of your day free." She turned away from Ashley, who glared at Hiei on the ground, still twitching. "Yukina, patch this one up, would you?" She asked with a nod to Tetsuya.

* * *

"What the fuck was that earlier?" Ashley exploded as soon as Hiei walked into their shared room.

Hiei didn't answer Ashley directly. "Your sister is a powerful psychic," he said instead, sitting on the edge of the bed to explain that Sophia was a Connection, and what that meant, as well as everything she'd told Hiei and Kuwabara. Well, everything except a few details.

He had already relayed all of it to Genkai, Kurama, and Botan. Kurama said he'd relay it to Yusuke, while Botan said she'd relay it to Koenma. They'd all agreed it was best to keep Ashley out of it. Especially after all she'd been through.

By the time he was finished, Ashley was sitting on the bed beside him, and Hiei had entwined his fingers with hers. Her hand, soft and delicate, held his, too. He had been so close to never holding her hand. Whomever this time manipulator was, Hiei recognized that he owed him. Had time not gone backwards, he might not have gotten to be this close with Ashley. He might never have known her. And that just about broke his heart.

"On Tuesday we're going to need to come up with a way to determine who this guy is. The sooner we figure this out, the better." Hiei muttered. He'd been thinking about it all afternoon.

"What if I just teach class like normal and you can use the Jagan?" Ashley suggested, floored. Besides coming to sit on the bed with him, she hadn't really moved.

Hiei nodded. "That could work."

"So, that's why we've been experiencing deja vu?" She asked, changing the subject. "Because we've literally done all of this before."

"Yes and no," he replied, wincing internally. How to explain this without letting her know the specifics? "Sophia told us that while time went backwards, events changed. The deja vu thing, she didn't really fill us in on." He could see the wheels in her brain turning. "I also had a thought while I was there," he began, treading carefully. "You told me once that it was Annabelle who pushed you down the stairs. When we first met. Back when you originally told me about the house. How did you know it was Annabelle?"

If he didn't know her so well he would have missed how she stilled.

He continued, "Stepping into that place, I can see why you don't go back, but how do you know? They all feel the same."

She turned toward him, then, studying him. She was so much like her sister he almost couldn't stand it. Or maybe Sophia was like her. However it had happened, they were so similar in their behaviors it was laughable.

She paused before she spoke, and immediately he knew she was lying. She'd done it only once or twice since he'd known her, but it was iconic for her. "Sophia told me. After it happened."

She said it in a way that didn't allow for other questions.

Still, being this close to her, knowing that she shouldn't be there at that moment, and feeling the rush that came over him when he thought back to how she was able to ground him so easily, affection swelled in his chest for this person. Slowly, he brushed his thumb against her lower lip, watching her carefully in case she objected to his affections. She didn't move. They were inches from each other when Hiei paused, lips parted. He didn't have to wait long. Ashley closed the distance, kissing him, her tongue slipping between his lips. The action sent a fire to warm in his belly, and he drew her closer to him, moving so that she could straddle him.

He tangled his fingers in her hair, relishing in the soft fruity scent, as his other hand slipped under her sweater. His touch must have caught her off guard because she broke the kiss, gasping in surprise. That pushed him further, catching her gasp and kissing her again, deepening the kiss, until they were tangled together.

He wanted, more than anything, to get as close as possible to her. To end the barriers that divided them, and make love to her.

He bit her lip teasingly before trailing a series of kisses down her neck before her sweater covered her shoulder. _That_ needed to come off.

"I have an idea," Hiei gasped as he pulled off his own shirt. Ashley took his face between her hands and brought him back to her lips.

"What is that?" She asked between kisses.

He broke, momentarily, to smirk at her, but continued to run a hand around her waist. "In demon world, when we're with partners, we can use our ability to… excite the other person."

She blushed. "So…?"

The hand that was running over her waist suddenly heated, and he moved it so that it could slip down her abdomen. "Oh," she reacted, biting her lip.

How he wanted to take her lip between his own teeth.

"And you," he said, kissing her again. "Can use your ability… with me."

She stiffened, but kept kissing him. Hiei moved to pull off her sweater, so that she was only left in her bra and shorts.

He pulled her closer, still running his hands over her body. "Whenever you're ready," he growled in her neck.

She hitched a breath, and a small tingle of electricity tickled his chest, but it was nothing. "Little harder; I need to feel more than that." As if for example, he kissed her, knowing his fire was entering her sternum as she gasped and arched.

Still, she hesitated. He kept kissing her, wanting to change position so that he was over her, but just as he felt the sharp jot of her electricity flowing into him, she was pushing him away, and trying to disentangle herself from him.

"I-I-I can't, Hiei. I can't-" she was saying, as she rose and walked away, hands clasped over her head, before they broke and she ran them over her face. Hiei stayed on the bed, giving her space.

It was a good minute before she spoke again. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, her voice breaking. Ashley had yet to turn to face him.

Hiei, however, fell back onto the bed, reprimanding himself. Of course it would freak her out. It probably took her back to that warehouse.

Moving his head so he could watch her, he reached a hand toward her. "Hey, Ashley," he got her attention and she turned. "Come here."

The request was enough. She crossed the room to him again, curling up against his chest so that her head fit snugly under his chin. Again, the fruity scent of her hair reached him, and it was just… it was so _Ashley_ , that he held her closer.

She should have died, but she was there. Somehow, by whatever power in the universe, he was able to hold her against him. Beyond that, Sophia had said she was going to make a choice soon. Dread, once again, pooled in his stomach. He'd been such a dick to her these last several months, he wouldn't doubt it if she chose to leave him. Finally. He deserved so much less than this incredible human in his arms. How he'd managed to convince her that he was worth fighting for was beyond him, but he would prove that she made the right decision.

"I'm sorry I was an ass today," he finally said. "Both times."

She didn't reply right away. "Thank you."

However long they stayed like that was lost on him, but the sun had finally set for the day, turning the room to shadows. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight." She muttered into his chest, not looking up.

"Then don't," Hiei replied softly. "I won't leave." He said it like a promise, because it was a promise.

With this, Ashley glanced up. "Are you sure? Am I taking you from anything?"

Hiei smirked. Always the worrier. "No. I'm staying."

"Even if I tell you to leave?"

Her words were soft - and was that a touch of humor? - but it cut through him like a winter wind, still. Immediately, his arms slackened around her body. "Only if you want me to," but even as he started to let go, she snuggled closer, her arms wrapping around his shoulders.

"No," she said, thoughtful. "No, I don't."

 _ **\- End of Chapter Twenty-Six -**_

* * *

 **PLOT TWIST! MUAHAHAHA!**

 **I** **'ve known this since August last year. Around chapter two or three. It's been killing me not being able to reveal it, but TA-DA! Ashley was supposed to die! And we'll find out more about the time manipulation in the next few chapters. Which, by the way, Chapter 27 will be out July 28 and Chapter 28 will be out July 29. There's a reason I'm posting them like that, and you'll see why when we get there.**

 **On another note, I** **'ve created a playlist for this chapter in particular. It was such an important chapter there were only a handful of songs I was able to listen to while writing it. The link has been posted on my profile. I've also got the mood board link for Sophia on my profile as well.**

 **And sometime since the last chapter I reached 100 followers! Thank you, thank you, thank you! And Thank you for the lovely reviews, too, by Guest and lisaisfire619 for chapter 25, and musicnutftw for chapter 15. As always, if you enjoy what you read, please review so that I know that you enjoyed it, too. I like to share in the enjoyment.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	27. September 22, 2020: Part 1

Chapter Twenty-Seven

 _September 22, 2020: Part 1_

 _There was no sound here._

 _Really, there was sound, like a deep humming noise, but beyond that? There was no sound._

 _There were no birds, no crickets, no passing of a nearby train. No one was talking or whispering or yelling or crying._

 _But there was that humming._

 _There was no here nor there. There was no up nor down. There was a world, but there was no ground or sky or trees or clouds. But she wasn_ _'t in a room, either. There were no walls or doors. She just was._

 _And within, there wasn_ _'t panic, even though she was in a place that didn't seem to be, and there was no anxiety. Coupled with the humming, there was just a calm, weightless feeling of existing in between._

 _It surrounded her, until the weightless, calm feeling was all she knew. That, and the humming._

" _It has been awhile, Ashley."_

 _The voice was deep, and the words confident but wavering, as if words had not been spoken in years. As if the voice didn_ _'t actually remember how to speak._

 _Ashley turned, as best as she could without her feet touching the ground, to see him filling her vision. A giant, black dragon. Slender, but powerful body taking up her field of vision. Sharp, crimson eyes, the color like lava, trained on her. She was but an ant next to this monster._

" _Have we met?"_

" _A long time ago. It's good to see you well."_

 _The dragon was familiar, in the same way that a memory or a dream from childhood might be familiar. She was positive she_ _'d never met him, but in the same moment, she felt relaxed with him here. As if everything would be fine. Like a friend. But she was sure she'd never met him. "I don't remember you," she admitted instead._

" _You shouldn't. Not until it's time," he said, watching her from above. "But I remember you. And I feel you now. You have grown in your power."_

 _She looked away, remembering._ _"Only because I got in the way." If she hadn't been close to Hiei, she never would have been taken. That wasn't to say she'd end things with him, or change her relationship with him. But, if she could go back and do it all again, perhaps she could train sooner. Learn to control her power quicker. But that was the past. Time couldn't go backwards. "I was a liability."_

 _The dragon didn_ _'t even pause, as if reassuring her. "You are going to do great things. You are powerful; I know it. Hiei knows it. You need to know it, too."_

" _I don't feel powerful. I feel weak, and scared," Ashley insisted. For whatever reason, it was easy to admit this to the beast. The dragon, she knew - somehow - would understand._

 _He didn_ _'t respond. Not right away. Instead, he called upon some of his power, the air around them and between them filling with his dark crackling electricity. Feeling it rise, it also rose the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck. Danger! Instincts whispered urgently. She felt the electricity's call as surely as she'd felt the lightning in the clearing the other day. It sang to her, pulling her to it. But this was only a sampling of his power, she knew, though it still stole the air from her lungs. He was powerful beyond imagining._

 _"As you once did,_ u _se what you can of my power," the dragon said, but he didn't need to. His power rising, she knew somehow that she needed to reach out her own and use it, too. "Become confident in your ability, again. Rise."_

 _Raising a hand, reaching toward the black electricity, she called it, and grasped it, gasping as it tore through her body -_

Ashley started awake, sitting up with a gasp. Heart racing, she collapsed back onto the bed in shock. _What_ was _that_?

Stretching her arms out, she realized that Hiei was nowhere to be found, but the bed beneath her arm crinkled. Blankets normally didn't make that sound.

She grasped at the paper, folded once with her name written on the outside.

- _Meet me at the training grounds_.-

* * *

"What are you doing?"

He turned, as if surprised to hear her voice. Sweat glistened across his body, even in the early morning sun. The sight made a flush rise to Ashley's cheeks. His shirt had been discarded, and the sight of him - from his chiseled chest, to his crimson irises, to the black dragon tattoo encircling his arm - was nearly overwhelming. It took all of her control not to cross the grass and kiss him.

 _Black dragon tattoo._ The thought appeared in her mind as soon as she saw it. Had that been-?

But she didn't have time to dwell on it. "You've been asking me for awhile, so I thought I should," Hiei continued, not noticing her pause.

As nice of a gesture as it was, he was right: he'd declined her request how many times, now? "What made you change your mind?" she asked aloud.

Hiei merely shrugged. That is, if she didn't know him, it might have merely been a shrug, but at her question, he tensed slightly, and a crease formed between his brows. Whatever thought had occurred to him perturbed him.

"You've been asking, and I realized the only reason I didn't want to was out of discomfort for myself." There was something else he wasn't saying, but Ashley didn't ask further. "Yusuke and Bjorn are better with hand-to-hand; I'm better witha sword, but I can still teach you. Now, come here." He motioned to her, and she approached, stepping closer.

Truthfully, it was their last morning at Genkai's. Tomorrow, she'd have to go back to her classes and teach her students as she was hired to do. They only had a few hours before they needed to pack and make their way back to Sarayashiki, but Hiei took every minute.

The sun had just peeked over the horizon when she'd joined him. He showed her how to wrap her hands so as not to damage them too badly. He wrapped her left, and then let her wrap her right, stopping to correct her when he saw a mistake.

For the next hour or so, Hiei showed her how to fight. Or at least, he showed her individual moves: how to punch, how to kick, how to block. Oliver, thankfully, had showed her proper form in a right hook, but that had been all he had showed her. Hiei went through individual moves until she knew enough to put them together into combos.

He lost his patience only twice, but each time he amended his phrasing to not come across quite so demanding.

Before too long, the cool morning bled into a hot one, and they took their training inside. Genkai had, at some point, converted one of the rooms of her temple into a training room. In the center was a large mat, and along the outside edges were weights and punching bags.

Even inside, however, it didn't take long for Ashley to accumulate enough sweat to shed her t-shirt, leaving only her sports bra on, instead. Hiei, watching her, smirked, his eyes trailing down her body, which only made her grin as well. "We're quite the pair, aren't we?"

He didn't respond, but instead launched back into his lessons on combos and how to put what she'd learned outside together. He eventually donned training mits, so she could practice the combos against him and not have to worry about injuring either one of them.

Going through the combos, one after another, moving her body, and training - pushing her body to its very limits, euphoria flowed through her. For the first time since the warehouse she body sang with power. Not her electricity, but with the confidence that she, herself, was powerful physically, even if she was still weak compared to Hiei.

"You need a break," Hiei finally called it when Ashley had started her fifth combo for the twelfth time and lost her balance as she was going through it.

Getting back to her feet with a hiss through her teeth, she ground out, "I can do more."

"You haven't stopped in three hours." Ashley ignored him, and tried to shake out the shakiness she'd felt start to overtake her muscles thirty minutes ago. "Did you even eat before coming to find me?"

She ignored him again. Of course she hadn't eaten. He'd told her to meet him at the training grounds and she'd done just that. "Not yet."

They geared up again for another round of combos, Ashley internally screaming at her body to make it not shake in exhaustion, but she went through the combos until the final punch. Apparently she put too much effort behind it because she was immediately off-balance and careening into Hiei, who's surprise reflected in his wide eyes for only a split second before he caught her and they both with tumbling to the ground.

She barely had the strength to support herself on her forearms above him - both from lack of eating and from exerting her body so much so she let herself fall to the side, so she wouldn't land on him. Panting, she tried to catch her breath as Hiei sat up next to her. "You… We're stopping and you're eating!" Hiei exclaimed, exasperated with her.

He made to get up, but her grasped his wrist and pulled him back to her, kissing him with what little energy she had left. Feeling his body above her, she caught his bottom lip between her teeth and gently tugged, a low growl slipping past his lips. He kissed her harder, one hand running down her side, pulling her to him, and then he was gone, moving away and leaving her blushing and gasping.

"You two need to eat," Yukina said, stepping into the room. She paused, however, as if she wasn't sure what she was coming in to find.

"We'll be right there!" Ashley managed to get out, sitting up next to Hiei.

Yukina swallowed a very obvious smile and turned away, slipping back through the door, and Ashley snuck a glance at Hiei, who, for the first time since she'd known him, was blushing, not looking at the door.

Ashley pulled herself up, as Hiei did the same, and stepped away from him, a coy smile on her lips. "Meet me in the showers later?"

He regarded her. "I'll be there."

* * *

Ashley hadn't expected to have the wind absolutely knocked out from her as they approached her apartment building.

A week. It had been a week. And while it looked the same as it always had, the flourishing gardens next to the playground - nothing had changed - her memories of it certainly had.

Her gasp must have caught Hiei's attention because his grip on her elbow tightened, and he stopped as she did, stepping in front of her so that all she could see was him. "You're okay," he said immediately, gaze not leaving hers. "I won't leave."

He didn't say anything about the fear that must have shown on her face, but rather bypassed it, straight to the issue. "You can do this." Of course, the way he said it left little room for opposition, but he was right. Ashley needed to do this. She could do it. Her breath still caught, and she felt light-headed as her heart raced, but Ashley still made her way with Hiei across the gardens to the front doors. She only relaxed onced the apartment door shut behind them and the lock clicked into place.

The flat was just how she and Yukina had left it. Yukina, bless her - the flat was perfectly organized.

"We need to come up with a plan on how to catch the guy - or girl," Ashley said, turning to face Hiei, who'd been watching her from the door. "What had Sophia said about them?"

"She definitely called "them" a _him_ ," Hiei said, watching her. His expression was unreadable, and his arms were crossed over his chest. "And she said you see him twice a week."

"Well, that narrows it down to my Tuesday/Thursday classes."

"We can just do what we talked about before: You teach as normal and I'll read them. If anyone stands out, I'll let you know."

"And if they do, I'll call them after class."

Hiei stepped closer, running his hands down her arms. "Will you confront them there?"

"No," she said thoughtfully, her skin alight with his touch. "I'll set a separate location. Somewhere public, so they can't make a scene."

He quirked a brow. "Do you think they would?"

She shrugged, shaking her head. "I have no idea. I have no idea what this guy could be capable of. I wonder if he would even know? I mean, we didn't know before Sophia outright told us. You said yourself that my memories of _before_ are likely behind a wall. And since you can't remember anything, either, yours likely are too. I wonder if his would be?"

The night before, since Ashley was having a difficult time sleeping, they had stayed up late talking. Eventually, they'd come up with the idea for Hiei to read her, to see if he could find her memories. She certainly didn't remember anything of the _before_ , but perhaps the Jagan could find them.

Surprisingly, it couldn't. Hiei had worked through her memories for nearly an hour, ignoring the details - they were for her to keep - until he had hit a brick wall, or rather, a fuzzy wall, similar to the one that Sophia had in her mind. But where Sophia's was made of static and had ultimately caused pain for him, Ashley's was solid, and there was no way to go through it. He could go around it, and found more memories of her childhood, but he could not penetrate the wall in her mind. There was an entire section of her memories that had been blocked out. But as frustrating as it was, at least Hiei had knowledge, now, that something was behind that wall.

* * *

Knox had been taken with them to Genkai's, although Yukina mostly took care of him for her since Ashley had been so involved in her training. She'd seen him and walked him some while she was at Genkai's, but now that they were back at the flat, and she needed to walk him where she'd been taken, her anxiety skyrocketed. Easily, that was the biggest difficulty upon coming back. However, Monday passed without incident, excitement growing for Tuesday, while nerves fluttered in her belly.

Although she never wondered it aloud so that Hiei could hear, had she really gotten to know her students at all? She'd been teaching them for five months now, and she'd only just learned that Ren was a wind demon and Tetsuya was a strongarm. And obviously one of her students had sent the three worlds back by years.

What kind of teacher was she if she didn't even know this?

By Tuesday, she knew what was coming as most certainly as she knew the sun would set that evening, come what may. By the end of the day, they'd at least know who the time manipulator was. Of course, neither really understood _why_ they needed to find him, only that two Connections had told them to.

Tuesday began with her earliest class at 10:00 sharp. Of course, she was awake by 7:00, cuddling in Hiei's arms until 7:30, not wanting to pull herself from the futon. After this, it would all change, wouldn't it?

"You're physical today," Hiei muttered, still half-asleep as she wrapped her arms around his torso and snuggled into his chest. He smelled like a campfire, as he always did. He slept only with a pair of shorts on, which meant that his heat usually filled the blanket that they slept with. Unless they were touching, Ashley usually was the only one with a blanket, but it was usually thrown on and off throughout the night. She remained silent, though, not wanting to admit her true feelings.

Hiei, though, must have felt her heart racing and thought it was racing for a different reason. "It'll be okay," he said gently, or as gently as he could. It was odd. Normally, he wasn't as careful with her, but ever since he'd brought her from the warehouse - no, after that - after he'd returned from the House, he'd made to touch her more, and speak to her with a carefulness and gentleness she'd never heard from him. At least never heard from him over an extended period. She half expected him to revert back to his usual self every time she took his hand, or ran a hand over his arm, or the night before, as she kissed him as he went into the bathroom for a shower. But he accepted her affection, and returned it. And as odd as it was, it was nice. It was what she'd been craving from him for months, she'd admit, but she was also terrified that he would retract his affection on a moment's notice, and they'd go back to how they were before.

She wanted to tell him what was going through her mind, but would he think of her as weak?

She didn't get a chance to think about it more: Knox whined at their feet, ready for his morning walk.

Ashley made a noise of annoyance in the back of her throat, turning away from Hiei and looking at Knox. "Can't you walk yourself for once?" She grumbled, but got up anyway, Hiei laughing at her as she did.

* * *

By nine she was out of the flat and headed to the train. Hiei had promised her he'd meet her there. He'd made the point that it was likely wise not to arrive together. If this guy was some incredible time manipulator, he likely knew who Hiei was. So instead, Ashley walked alone to the train station, eyes scanning her surroundings, constantly. Once she got a little closer to the train station did she begin to relax. With so many people around, likely no one would be stupid enough to take her again.

She passed her favorite tea and coffee shop on her right, and her pace slowed. She often didn't treat herself to a morning tea, but that morning she'd left her tea sitting on the counter as she'd left the flat. And she had time before she had to catch her train, if only a few minutes, but the train was right around the corner.

She popped in for just a moment, the line, thankfully, short.

"What can I get for you this morning?" the cashier asked, glancing up at Ashley with a smile.

She usually only drank mint tea, but she was wanting something different that morning. Something comforting. "Do you have any Earl Grey?" She asked. Mum used to make it for her with milk and sugar before Ashley got adventurous and started branching out.

"We do; would you like a cup of that?"

"Yes, please, to go."

After paying for her tea, and fixing it the way she wanted to at the coffee bar in the corner, Ashley set off toward the train station and boarded without incident.

The tea definitely calmed her nerves, but by the time she reached her classroom and her class was ten minutes from starting, the nerves were back. She should have saved some of the tea for the actual class.

" _I_ _'m right outside,"_ Hiei's voice entered her mind. The Jagan. " _You_ _'re nervous again?"_

" _I_ _'ll be fine; just being silly, is all."_ She quickly changed the subject, hoping he wouldn't comment. _"You can read them well enough from out there?"_

He didn't. _"I'm talking to you, aren't I?"_

His snark was obvious. _"Well, don't get caught,"_ she thought back with a smirk.

" _I'm in a tree. I won't get caught."_ Ashley immediately pictured a cat-Hiei crouched in the trees outside, and Hiei chuckled through the Jagan. " _You focus on not showing your thoughts on your face. We don_ _'t want them to think you've suddenly lost your mind."_

" _I've been gone for three days because I was… taken by the Legion. Of course I've lost my mind."_ She thought back with a laugh, and that was the end of that because the first student walked through the doors with an excited exclamation to see her.

Her 10:00 class as well as her 2:30 class were over the moon to see her. Family emergency, she explained, and no one questioned it. Also, no one in the class caught Hiei's attention as the possible time manipulator, which left her final class at 7:00.

Of course, they had three hours to kill before then, so they wandered over to the student center where Ashley bought them both dinner and they holed up in her classroom in the back, pushing desks together. As they ate, their legs touched. Hiei was the one to initiate that contact, surprisingly.

"Something's been bothering you all day," Hiei observed between bites, crimson eyes watching her like a hawk. "I want to know what it is."

Of course he would notice.

"I've just… I've been wondering, how terrible must I be if I missed that this person is in my class?" Hiei sucked in a breath in irritation, but Ashley plowed ahead. "I mean, really, Hiei. How terrible of a teacher must I be? I mean, I didn't even know that Ren was a wind demon or Tetsuya a strongarm until this weekend? I've been teaching them for five months."

"In case you hadn't picked up on this little fact at Genkai's, let me reiterate something for you," he said, each word deliberate, although not berating, "unless you've had extensive training and work put into your psychic ability it's unlikely that you can tell another person's power just by being in the same room as them. Unless they've told you specifically what their power is, it's not on you to figure it out if you haven't had the training."

It made sense, although Ashley was slow to admit it.

As much as she'd been dreading her final class after the first two came up empty, Hiei's words put her mind at ease, and by the time her students were filing in, she was the calmest she'd been all day.

As the other two classes had, her final class made a big deal about her return. Even Ren and Tetsuya put on excited expressions, and played it up. Ashley gave her apologies and her excuse as she had the first two classes, and began teaching.

She hadn't even made it halfway through the hour and a half class before Hiei's voice was in her mind. " _It_ _'s the boy in the back. With the glasses."_ Thankfully, she'd just instructed the class to turn to their neighbor and share some sentences she'd just have them write, or she would have stuttered to a halt and made a fool of herself.

Because she knew without looking who the boy was who sat in the back with the glasses. It was Nobuyuki. Quiet Nobuyuki who was always at least an hour early with his earbuds shoved in his ears, and had been that day, as well.

" _Are you sure?_ _"_

" _Positive._ " His tone left no room for question. Thankfully, she had a moment to compose herself, before clearing her throat and starting class back up again.

She had managed to get through the day, which she thought deserved a reward, but by the end of class, she had one more thing to do.

Nobuyuki usually was the first to enter and the last to leave, taking his time to carefully put his belongings back in his bag, making sure he didn't just throw them all in there haphazardly. So by the time he stood and made his way toward the door, the rest of the students were already gone.

"Nobuyuki, do you have a moment?" Ashley asked, coming to stand at the edge of her desk, his latest test already in her hand. She'd been wanting to have this conversation with him for awhile, but hadn't found the right opportunity. Now, it was glaringly obvious.

He stuttered to a halt, eyes wide and flicking to the door, as if he was wondering if he could get through it without her catching him.

"Y-Yes, Miss Ashley?" He asked, voice quiet. She was sure that was the first time he'd said her name since she knew him, but at the same time it felt both familiar and wrong.

"Do you remember the tests I had everyone take a few weeks back, before my absence?" He nodded, hands nervously picking at the skin around his nail beds. "I've noticed something for awhile, and it was obvious on your test recently as well. It seems that you're exceptional at English, even though this is just a beginner course. I was wondering if I might meet you for coffee sometime and discuss with you how you came to be so good at it?"

Silence filled the room. A heavy silence. Nobuyuki didn't make eye contact. In fact, halfway through her request, his gaze dropped to the floor and he started shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"N-No, I don't think so." He said, dashing her hopes that he might say he would. Well, this left them with little room to work with. Should she have demanded his audience? "May I go?"

Ashley nodded. "We'll talk another time, then."

Hiei slipped through the door just after Nobuyuki disappeared through it, radiating tension. Before he had a chance to say how she blew it by making the demand a request, Ashley beat him to it. "I know I messed up. I'll find another way, I promise. We'll think of something." She closed the space between them, leaving the test on her desk. She didn't try to touch him, not while they were still at school. He'd never reacted well to being touched in public, especially not while he was pissed about something, and he didn't try to touch her, either.

Instead, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, gaze on the door. "We'll figure it out tomorrow."

 _ **\- End of Chapter Twenty-Seven -**_

* * *

 **Jesus Christ, I actually finished this chapter. It only took me two months but I finished it. I didn** **'t think I was actually going to be able to post tonight, but I wanted to go ahead and get it out. It's not edited - I'll do that later - but I wanted to get it out to everyone who's been so patient with me, thank you.**

 **It hasn** **'t been an easy hiatus, I'll say that. I want to do a tumblr post on things that have been going on, but that'll have to be another night. For now, know that there has been some serious drama with my family. Drama that has taken a lot out of me mentally and physically, and has affected my ability to write. If you've checked out my profile, you've noticed that I've abolished the regular update schedule, so I don't know when 28 will be out, but I'm hoping it'll be out in the next 10 days. It'll be another short one, and then we have 29, which I'm thinking may end up being my longest chapter yet.**

 **But before I go, I want to thank each and every one of you for being so patient with me in my hiatus. At least until November and National Novel Writing Month, I don** **'t plan to take another hiatus quite so long again. A big thank you to AQunariElf, Lestatsgirl15, and lilbee17 for your beautiful reviews on chapter 26, and Tsarashi for your reviews on chapters 21, 22 and 23.**

 **Also, before anyone asks, that first scene is supposed to be confusing since we're following Ashley's POV. We'll learn more about what the dragon meant later and why Ashley was able to call on his dark electricity.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	28. September 22, 2020: Part 2

Chapter Twenty-Eight

 _September 22, 2020: Part 2_

By Tuesday, she knew what was coming as most certainly as she knew the sun would set that evening, come what may. By the end of the day, they'd at least know who the time manipulator was. Of course, neither really understood _why_ they needed to find him, only that two Connections had told them to.

Tuesday began with her earliest class at 10:00 sharp. Of course, she was awake by 7:00 and not wanting to pull herself from the futon. After this, it would all change, wouldn't it?

And really, did she know her students at all? She'd been teaching them for five months now, and she'd only just learned that Ren was a wind demon and Tetsuya was a strongarm. And obviously one of her students had sent the three worlds back by years.

What kind of teacher was she if she didn't even know this? Truly, she had failed them.

"You're very physical today," Hiei muttered, still half-asleep as she wrapped her arms around his torso and snuggled into his chest. He smelled like a campfire, as he always did. He slept only with a pair of shorts on, which meant that his heat usually filled the blanket that they slept with. Unless they were touching, Ashley usually was the only one with a blanket, but it was usually thrown on and off throughout the night. She remained silent, though, not wanting to admit her true feelings.

The keyboard in the corner of the room caught her eye. "You know," she pondered aloud, changing the subject. "I haven't played since before Isla died."

It was strange, saying those two words in the same sentence, but it was true. She'd bought the keyboard before summer vacation, and then spent most of it traveling, seeing Europe, but she'd neglected her passion in the meantime.

"You should play, then," Hiei muttered into her hair, his eyes still shut against the early morning light streaming in through the window. He was never a morning person, and only ever got up because Ashley was awake.

"You don't mind?" she asked, surprised. Normally, he didn't like anything to wake him before he was good and ready, and he most certainly wasn't ready yet. But he shook his head anyway, and she disentangled herself from his arms and sat at the piano across the room. Knox would need to be walked soon, but he could wait a little longer.

Fingers barely brushing the keys, she hesitated. The last time she had played was before Isla's death. Isla, her best friend, near sister, would never hear her play again.

And after Isla came the warehouse, and then she'd used her power in such a terrible way. The others never let her think for a moment that she might have harmed those men, but she knew without a doubt that she had killed them. Two lives lost beneath her power. It was crushing, and yet she didn't feel any remorse. They had done terrible things to her, but still, the knowledge that she could snuff out lives as quickly and easily as breathing was terrifying.

As quickly as Isla's death.

A melancholy tune slowly found its way through the keys of the piano, starting soft and then working in deeper notes. She had played through most of the piece before Hiei said, "I think that's the most depressing thing you've ever played."

The notes came to an abrupt halt.

"I'm a terrible person," she admitted aloud, the words tumbling out before she had a chance to reclaim them. Hiei's gaze narrowed, but she plowed ahead. "First, I didn't even realize that my own brother had gotten caught up in this anti-demon nonsense, then it was Isla, and Isla's now… _gone_ ," the word broke, but she continued, "and I can never talk to her again. She left after I said horrible things, Hiei. I'm never going to be able to take them back. And then so soon after, those demons took me, and I know I killed them-"

"Botan said-" Hiei meant to cut her off, but Ashley didn't let him.

"No, I know what Botan said, but Hiei, you don't understand _. I felt them_. My power killed them, and it was so simple. So easy, but I can't bring myself to feel guilty about them. And my students-" Hiei was on his feet, crossing the room to her, "-I've been teaching them for five months, and I never realized. I never even realized that Ren was a wind demon or Tetsuya was a strongarm. How terrible must I be? In all things?"

Ashley remained sitting on the stool she'd placed in front of the keyboard, and Hiei squatted next to her, taking her hands. His hair was a mess, and if she didn't have tears welling in her own eyes she might make an off-hand comment about his sex hair and they would both laugh, but really, she didn't have the energy for that right now.

"You have been through a lot, especially in these last few weeks," he began. "I can't say what to do different with your brother or what you might have done with Isla, but on those two who took you, they deserved what came to them." Fresh tears fell from her eyes, and Hiei sucked in a breath, backtracking and trying again. "You have the power to destroy lives, Ashley. Yusuke had to learn to handle it, as did Kuwabara, Kurama, and myself. Kurama might tell you that you have to learn how you're going to use your power going forward, and while that's great, you need to remind yourself: it _saved your life_ , whether you knew it or not, you instinctively knew it, and your power responded to protect you. It gave you another chance to fight. Another day to live. And if you're worried about it happening again, remember that you were able to incapacitate me without killing me the other day. You're already learning how to control it.

"And in case you hadn't picked up on this little fact at Genkai's, let me reiterate something for you," he said, each word deliberate, although not berating, "unless you've had extensive training and work put into your psychic ability it's unlikely that you can tell another person's power just by being in the same room as them. Unless they've told you specifically what their power is, it's not on you to figure it out if you haven't had the training."

It made sense, although Ashley was slow to admit it. But he was right, through and through. She likely wouldn't have made it out if it hadn't been for her power.

"You talk as if you have experience in this, Hiei," she muttered, tracing the lines in his hands. Her eyes fluttered up, hidden partially beneath her lashes, but still her gaze caught his, surprise written over his face. "Will you tell me?"

Before, he would have dismissed her question outright, or made an excuse. But now, he watched her carefully, and eventually the words slipped out, "I will. Maybe tonight? But now you need to get ready for work." It was odd in more ways than one. Normally, he wasn't as careful with her, but ever since he'd brought her from the warehouse - no, after that - after he'd returned from the House, he'd been more gentle with her. Everything from consoling her like he'd just done, to touching her more, to speaking to her with a carefulness and gentleness she'd never heard from him. At least never heard from him over an extended period.

In all seriousness, she half expected him to revert back to his usual self every time she took his hand, or ran a hand over his arm, or the night before, as she kissed him as he went into the bathroom for a shower. But he accepted her affection, and returned it. And as odd as it was, it was nice. It was what she'd been craving from him for months, she'd admit, but she was also terrified that he would retract his affection on a moment's notice, and they'd go back to how they were before. Like Cinderella and her carriage at midnight.

"And I'll be with you all day today," he continued. "You have nothing to fear." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned in to him, but he was the one to close the distance, touching his forehead against hers, eyes closed.

She didn't get a chance to think about it more: Knox whined at their feet, ready for his morning walk.

Ashley made a noise of annoyance in the back of her throat, turning away from Hiei and looking at Knox. "Can't you walk yourself for once?" She grumbled, earning a chuckle from Hiei. It was such a rare sound, she couldn't help herself, turning back to kiss him.

* * *

Hiei and Ashley ended up making love there on the floor next to the keyboard, which ended up setting the entire day back. Knox was walked late, so she got in the shower late, which meant she was running for the train station, praying she made it there in time before her train departed - which she did not - which meant she arrived to her own classroom thirty minutes past the start of class, flustered and harried.

Even Hiei had reached her own class before she had, and was able to let her know before she ever stepped inside that none of the students within those four classroom walls was the person they were searching for. It was a saving grace, really, that both she and Hiei thought it wise to travel separately in case her student knew Hiei.

They were all excited that she was well, and after a few minutes of them welcoming her back, she was able to teach her class in peace.

With the first thirty minutes gone under her tardiness, and then the next five minutes spent assuring them that she was okay, she really only had fifty five minutes to teach an hour and a half lesson. By the end of the crazy class, she really wished she hadn't forgotten her tea on the counter back home.

Hiei stepped into the classroom after the last of her students had disappeared, a knowing smile on his lips.

Seeing him, Ashley dissolved into a fit of giggles. "We are _not_ talking about that," she said between laughter. "I'm going over to the student center to get some tea and maybe food? I didn't have time to eat. Do you want anything?"

"I'll come with you," he said, moving away from the door and toward her. Memories flashed through her mind of their passion-filled morning, and it took everything in her not to jump him in that moment and make love to him again.

How unprofessional would it be if Dr. Ikeda walked in on them?

"You should probably stay here," he looked hurt by her words, stopping in his tracks and looking away. "Not that I don't want you to come, but if anyone recognizes you…"

She didn't need to say more. He nodded once. "Got it. Nothing for me, then."

* * *

The walk to the student center was a quick one, but it allowed her, for the first time that morning, to turn over what Hiei had said during her confession. That had been so embarrassing, but at the same time, it had seemed to bring them closer together. He even said he'd explain his past to her that night. That was certainly progress.

She was waiting in line with other students when her name caught her attention.

"Ashley?" She turned, at the same time that the speaker corrected themselves. "Erm, _Miss_ Ashley?" Nobuyuki stood a few paces away, shifting his backpack on his back. He wore his usual jacket, a few sizes too big, and a plain blue shirt beneath it with jeans. "What are you doing here?"

His voice was clear of the uncertainty that he usually had in her class. Was she really that intimidating? "Oh, um," she began, mind going back to the task at hand as the line moved up. "I was running late this morning and forgot to bring my tea, or eat breakfast for that matter, so I thought I'd pick something up."

He seemed brighter, more cheerful perhaps, his eyes shining behind his rectangle-framed glasses.

" _Ashley,_ _"_ Hiei's voice in her mind nearly made her jump. _"He's the one."_

"Are you alright, Miss Ashley?" Nobuyuki asked, concern immediately written across his face.

"Y-Yes," she stammered. _"Hiei, you followed me?"_ she thought while she spoke, _"_ I just thought I saw someone I knew across the room, is all."

" _Of course I did. But he's the time manipulator."_ Hiei's voice was as clear in her head as if she was standing next to him. The Jagan.

" _And you're certain?"_

" _Of course I am."_

"D-Do you want to eat with me, then?" He asked it nervously, gaze downcast. She must look like a crazy person, staring at him so outright. "I'll understand if you don't-"

"Oh, no, I will, thank you! Sorry, I just remembered something I have to do later." She really needed to come up with better excuses. Or, Hiei needed to stop poking around in her mind when she least expected it.

" _I_ _'m still here_."

" _Of course you are,_ _"_ Ashley shot, glancing back at Nobuyuki with a smile. "Let me just get my food and I'll meet you at a table?" But the boy seemed appeased and he left as she turned back to her place in line.

Waiting only took another five or ten minutes, but then she was sitting with Nobuyuki as he unpacked his lunch as well.

"Thank you for asking me to eat with you," Ashley remarked, beginning the conversation to hide her nerves. "The other teachers I know don't have break for another hour. How have you been?"

He shrugged. "Same as always," came his simple reply.

"I've spoken to the other students before, but never with you. I feel like I barely know you, even!" She exclaimed, falling into a friendly chatter. "Do you live around here or do you commute? Are you close with your parents? What do you do for fun?"

Nobuyuki had paused in between bites, looking up at her, chopsticks held loosely in his hand with an almost incredulous expression written across his features. Almost like he couldn't believe what she was asking.

But as soon as she finished, the expression disappeared and he took another bite of food.

"I'm…" the word was soft, but Ashley heard it and waited for more. "I'm not close with my parents. Not anymore…. I do commute. And I…" his brief answers told her that she was dangerously close to overstepping a line that she hadn't realized had been drawn. "I don't really do anything for fun."

The way he said it, he hinted at something else behind his words. The way he said it was like the conversation was over.

Not daring to push her luck, Ashley took a bite of her food and changed the subject. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you something for awhile, now." Nobuyuki glanced up from his meal, curious. She had to make it seem like she wasn't digging, although now that she brought up the subject, along with the knowledge that he was the time manipulator in all this, it made a little more sense. "Do you remember the tests I had everyone take a few weeks back, before my absence?" He nodded and took another bite. "I've noticed this for awhile, and it was obvious on your test recently as well. You're unusually good at English, especially in a beginner class." While she wanted to ask him where he'd learned the language something told her that he would immediately shut the conversation down and she'd get nowhere. "I'd like to see you participate more. Shine, if you will. Embrace what you know. I know the other students would love to have someone they could go to to ask questions-"

His chair clattered to the floor.

"Nobuyuki, what-?" Ashley began, watching him carefully. He'd pushed away from the table, his chair knocked away. He stood there, hands clenched at his sides, seething in a rage she couldn't begin to place.

Instinctively, she called her own power to her hands, just under her skin, ready in case she had to defend herself. _It saved your life, and your power responded to protect you_ , Hiei's words came back to her. He was right. This power she had was empowering, knowing she could protect herself if need be without having to rely on anyone else. Least of all Hiei who was across campus in that moment.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, reaching out a hand toward the boy. The boy who was about her age. The boy who was exceptional at English. The boy who had turned back all three worlds. Others were staring at them, mutters and whispers filling the student center.

"You'll never understand!" He cried out instead, eyes welling with tears behind his glasses. In a quick movement, he grabbed his backpack and ran from the table, leaving Ashley with the lingering effects of adrenaline.

" _Come outside_."

The command was clear enough, and as much as she wanted him to come through the doors to her instead, the risk of someone recognizing Hiei and putting two and two together was too great.

She was shaking like a leaf, which only made packing up her lunch in the little sack they had given her that much more difficult, and walking to the door and down the stairs felt like she was going to topple over at any moment.

"Are you okay?" were the first words out of Hiei's mouth as she rounded the corner between the two buildings where he was hiding.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just shock. I don't think I should expect to see him in class tonight, but he did say he commutes, so if we lose him-"

She trailed off, but Hiei understood where she was going. "I'll follow him. Will you be okay for the rest of the day? Do you want to stay with Yukina or Kuwabara tonight?"

"Wait, tonight?" Ashley asked. "Will you not be back?"

"I'll take Yusuke and we'll capture him. Take him back to Genkai's. It's likely I won't be back until tomorrow morning, depending on how this goes tonight."

So she'd be left alone. Immediately, anxiety bubbled up, but at the same time, she said, "No, I'll be fine. I need to learn how to stand on my own again."

His smile was appraising, and he closed the distance to her, pressing his lips against her forehead. "If I'm not back tonight, I'll tell you about myself by this weekend."

* * *

The boy lived an hour away.

Hiei had kept the Jagan trained on him as he crossed town to pick up Yusuke and quickly fill him in on the situation. The Jagan led them back to a small flat just outside of Chiba, and from there, they kept watch as well as they could. The flat was covered with wards, effectively keeping the Jagan out, but they could still watch Nobuyuki through the window. They couldn't see the walls or anything else except the _kotatsu_ , which was placed directly below the window. But while Nobuyuki didn't sit at it the entire time he was inside, he paced, and every so often, Hiei and Yusuke were able to catch a glimpse of his feet.

He paced into the night.

As much as both boys wanted to rush into the flat, they also were at a disadvantage. Yusuke was the one to call off the capture until the boy hopefully fell asleep.

Eight hours passed before Nobuyuki finally turned off the light. They waited another two hours before storming the flat.

Well, storming wasn't exactly the best word for it. The plan was for Hiei to knock the window out and Yusuke to enter the flat first, placing spirit cuffs on the boy so he couldn't use his power.

Hiei and Yusuke crouched outside the window, listening. There was no sound from inside, and after they both shared a look, Hiei destroyed the glass, the sound like a gunshot on a still night.

Yusuke disappeared into the flat, Hiei on his heels, and a moment later he let out a frustrated cry.

"He's headed for the door!" Hiei shouted, the Jagan spotting him immediately. Hiei rushed to bind his hands instead. As soon as his hands curled around Nobuyuki's however, Nobuyuki whimpered, "Hiei, not you!" Immediately, Hiei found himself back at the window, listening to Yusuke let out a frustrated cry.

Again, the Jagan found Nobuyuki as he sprinted toward the door.

Wait. The Jagan had found Nobuyuki once he was inside the wards.

Immediately Hiei changed tactics, instead entering Nobuyuki's mind, and ending his desire to run. Instead, the boy slumped to the floor.

Hiei kept his mental hold on Nobuyuki as Yusuke flipped a switch, the lights flickering on.

" _Holy_ -"

Yusuke's surprise caught Hiei's attention, and as he turned toward the detective, his stomach dropped. It took everything within him to maintain hold on the time manipulator.

The wall above the bed was covered with news clippings. But it wasn't just news clippings of any subject. In every headline, in every photograph, in every article, Ashley's name and face dominated.

"Detective, I need you to place the cuffs on him." Hiei ground out, stepping to the wall to take a closer look as Yusuke crossed the room to Nobuyuki.

Hiei felt as soon as the cuffs were on the time manipulator, and let the Jagan ease up, at least enough that he could truly focus what was in front of him.

An _obsession_. A madman's obsession covered the wall. Red marker circled dates or notes on the news clippings and numbers were written next to the dates. Turning, Hiei found that on the other wall were notes thumb tacked to the wall with scribbled handwriting that was almost too tiny to read without a magnifying glass. Notes that predicted dates and things to come, as well as notes that identified past events. A thousand time lines were mapped out on the walls of this flat. All leading back to Ashley.

Fury, blinding and blazing tore through Hiei as he rushed at the time manipulator, still slumped on the floor, his hands bound, tears staining the front of his shirt. He roared, as if that would force Nobuyuki into answering, " _What is this?!_ "

 _ **\- End of Chapter Twenty-Eight -**_

* * *

 **Well, we are finally hitting the good stuff! Stay tuned for chapter 29 when a LOT of information will be revealed. Chapter 29 will probably be my longest chapter yet for this fic, and this weekend I** **'m going out of town and next weekend I have company over, so while chapter 27 and 28 were out in the same week, chapter 29 will likely be released in October at some point. And now that chapter 28 has been posted, there are only 5 chapters left until part 1 is finished. How exciting!**

 **If anyone wants to listen to the piano piece that I modeled what Ashley played in the beginning, search** **"Dark Piano - Silence" on YouTube. Also, most of this chapter was written with the song "Farewell Life" playing in the background (by Arn Andersson & Nights Amore).**

 **Thank you to lilbee17 for your review on chapter 27, and VersatileFaerie for your reviews on chapters one through seven!**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	29. Before

**Content Warning : Near death of a main character via stabbing. Death of a side character via car accident.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine

 _Before_

The clock ticking in the corner was the only noise in the room.

It was likely as old as its owner, if the worn wood was any indicator. It had sat in Genkai's study for as long as Hiei could remember,and had often been the only thing to break the silence, whether it be a heavy silence or a thoughtful one.

Now, it was at it again. _Tick, tock, tick_. Back and forth. Back and forth.

Nobuyuki didn't say a word. The boy sat in the chair across from Hiei's heavy glare, shoulders slumped, and hands clasped between his knees. His square-rimmed glasses had fallen down his nose again, and the boy kept having to push them up with a forefinger. He hadn't made eye contact with Hiei in - a quick glance at the clock told him twenty-five minutes. No, the boy continued to stare at the floor and grit his teeth.

Hiei realized he probably shouldn't be calling Nobuyuki a _boy_ ; that was the wrong term. He was as old as Ashley, or rather, he looked to be as old as Ashley, but even when Ashley had confidence, she held herself in a way that held presence. On the street, Nobuyuki wouldn't even get a passing glance, likely.

Hiei glanced at Kurama, who leaned against the doorway, arms and ankles crossed.

To anyone else, the fox might appear as relaxed or casual, but Hiei had known him for long enough to recognize the threads of tension weaving themselves through his body.

"Kuwabara won't be joining us," Genkai announced, walking through the doorway with Yusuke on her heels.

"Why not?" Hiei immediately asked.

"Just said he'll be late and to start without us. You can ask him, though, when he gets here." That was the last thing Hiei would do. "He said he'll wait until Ashley gets out of class and bring her up here at the same time. She will probably appreciate that."

She sent a withering glare in Hiei's direction. It wasn't his fault Ashley had wanted to stay in Sarayashiki. He'd asked her, but she wanted to teach her Friday class before joining them at Genkai's temple. Even though she'd seemed anxious when she said it, she'd asked to stay behind. Who was he to force her to join him at the temple? If she felt safe enough to stay, she should stay. Yukina said she'd check in on her, anyway.

"Anyway, should we get started." Genkai said it as a statement, instead of a question. Yusuke circled around one of her lounge chairs and collapsed into it.

"Will it - Will it hurt?" Nobuyuki stuttered, finally glancing up at Hiei through his bangs.

"Give us what we need and it won't," Hiei growled. On the one hand, he was grateful for Ashley coming back to him again, but on the other, who was this kid to toy with her and her life?

Nobuyuki visibly tried to relax, shifting back in the seat, and the Jagan focused in on his memories.

* * *

 _The sun was blinding and suffocating, that first day of Ouran High. Mother and Father had insisted he come to the school, even though it was two hours away from home. It was the furthest he'd ever been, except that one trip to Australia he'd taken with his grandparents two years ago. Everyone was new. The school was massive. The tie cut into his windpipe. He was already light-headed, so that didn't do anything that he didn't already feel, but it was like he couldn't catch his breath, no matter how hard he tried._

 _The girl in front of him had a smile plastered on her face, eyebrows raised, like she had just asked a question. Darn it - what was it? What had she asked? Now he had to ask her to repeat the question, and hope to god he caught it -_

 _"That's okay, we'll figure it out!" A voice cut through his thoughts, cheery and bright, almost as bright as the sun itself. "We've got a map, so we'll get there!" A British accent reached his ears as a hand slipped around his elbow._

 _His savior guided him away from the_ senpai _, and his mind allowed him to catch up with what he was doing. "Thanks. My brain just kind of blanked, I guess."_

 _"Well, it's no problem at all," the girl replied, eyes sparkling in the sun. "But do you know where you're going? I haven't a clue, myself. If you know where you're going, would you mind showing me?"_

 _Nobuyuki laughed awkwardly. Oh boy, now she needed his help. All he really wanted was to go crawl into a hole and be left alone. "I don't know where I'm going, sorry. It's all so new."_

 _"Well maybe we could figure it out together? I'm Ashley. It's nice to make your acquaintance…?"_

 _She trailed off, as if waiting for a reply._

 _Darn, what had she said? Wait, she'd said her name._

 _"Oh! Nobuyuki! My name is Nobuyuki!" he replied sheepishly, his hand scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment._

 _"Well it's very nice to meet you, Nobuyuki! Should we go exploring?" Ashley was like a ball of light. Golden hair, blue eyes, and a ball of light._

 _They became fast friends, Ashley and Nobuyuki. Ashley's suite mate, Yasu, also eventually joined their clan. Yasu was the daughter of the demon ambassador to Japan - a bat demon. Her dress had to be specifically made to fit her wings, which folded behind her body most days. But there was no forgetting that Yasu was a demon. Two incisors didn't quite fit behind her lips and instead slipped down over her bottom lip. Her nose was wider than most and flat. Her pupils were narrower, almost like a cat's, and she was taller than them both by six inches at least. But she was quiet and unassuming, and even when the bullies in their class tipped a tray of food into Yasu's lap, she didn't retaliate._

 _"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Ashley had stormed into their faces. Yumi, Namiko, and Yoshito. Two girls and a boy who'd all gone to the same middle school over in Tokyo._

 _"She needs to go back to where she came from," Yoshito drawled. "She has no place here."_

 _Nobuyuki had to restrain Ashley, and grab Yasu as she made to clean her dress, and usher them both out of the cafeteria. But from that moment on, the three were inseparable._

 _Yasu and Ashley became fast friends. Yasu was a skilled fighter, even as quiet as she was, and as it became clear that Ashley had psychic power, her skill grew as well. Ashley went to Yasu and asked her to show her a few moves. Anything to defend herself._

 _Their training weekends, turned into days, always meeting up after classes were out to spar. Nobuyuki always watched on the side. "If I break my glasses again my father will kill me!" He'd say and excuse himself. Instead, he'd watch his two best friends fight and laugh and train. Ashley was a quick learner, and before long she could at least hold her own against Yasu, even if Yasu always managed to beat her in the end._

 _Yasu even showed some of her power to Ashley as they trained. Ashley, while she had psychic tendencies, lacked any ability in turning them into physical attacks, and merely evaded Yasu when they trained with her demon energy. Evaded and used her environment to get whatever upper hand she could._

 _Before long, Nobuyuki began having feelings for Yasu. His heart would race whenever he saw her, his face would heat, and he would start to stutter in his nerves._

 _Ashley was quick to figure it out. "You should ask her out!" she finally cornered him one evening. Yasu had had to leave school to attend a state dinner with her parents, leaving Ashley and Nobuyuki studying alone in the library._

 _It took a minute for Nobuyuki to piece together what Ashley was talking about, but when he did, his mouth dropped, his face turning red. "Whaaaaaaa?"_

 _"SHHHHH!" Someone shushed them from two aisles over. Ashley only snickered. "I see the way you look at Yasu. You should totally ask her out!"_

 _"I don't know…" Nobuyuki replied, not looking at her and focusing on his textbook intently._

 _"I see the way she looks at_ you _, too, you know." Ashley hinted. It wasn't a school day so they were both dressed in their casuals: jeans, t-shirts, and for Ashley, a hoodie she'd stolen from her brother the last time she was home. They were in their second year._

 _Nobuyuki's cheeks only heated more. "What if it doesn't work out, though? I'd hate to ruin our friendship."_

 _Ashley pondered this for a moment, then shrugged. "But what if you two fall madly in love and get married and love each other for the next fifty years? It wouldn't ruin anything, then."_

 _"But I can't take that chance!" Nobuyuki hissed again, desperate for Ashley to see what he saw. The person from before shushed them again._

 _Ashley threw up her hands and whispered back, "Hey, it's your choice, I'm just pointing out the obvious."_

 _Another year passed. Another year of classes and state dinners, and eating out, and sparring. Another year of Yasu being demanded to mature quickly so that she can marry well, and another year of Wright Technologies becoming a tech giant. Nobuyuki's parents were wealthy, but they had old money. Less pressure was on Nobuyuki to do well and be a role model for the community. That's what his older brothers were for. Thankfully for him, he could just skate through school, which for him meant A's and being part of a couple after school activities, but nothing too taxing. By the beginning of their third year, he'd realized he wanted to pursue mathematics at university. Ashley had decided on music, much to the frustration of her parents, and Yasu wanted to become a nurse. A home-care nurse._

 _"I always hear the best stories from the older humans," she would say with a smile. "They're fascinating." They were all disappointing their parents in one way or another._

 _But being third years also meant some extra time at Ouran. So when KRJ came into Nagoya, the three of them bought tickets and borrowed Yasu's father's car. Yasu drove, of course, and was overly careful: no eating in the car, no feet on the dash, definitely clean their shoes before they got in, and seat belts at all times._

 _The concert went late, though, and they had class the next day. It had started raining at some point during the concert, and they had to drive through the mountains in the rain at midnight. Yasu drove slow at first, but as the hours ticked by, her speed increased. All three knew their professors wouldn't be happy if they fell asleep in class the next day. Though, they could all feign being sick, if they had to._

 _Still, the stress was high. Halfway home, Yasu pulled off at a gas station to fill up and let the others stretch their legs. "Want me to drive?" Nobuyuki asked. Yasu looked worn, but she shook her head._

 _"No, if anything happens to the car, my father will kill me. I'll be okay, but thank you, Nobuyuki." She smiled one of her smiles that hid that anything was wrong. Nobuyuki could tell she was exhausted, though. They'd all been up since early for the concert, and now it was late at night. But they had to get back, so they piled back into the car, and started back on the mountain roads._

 _It was maybe another hour before the car took a turn, as it had taken many turns, but this time it hydroplaned. That moment when every person in the car knew that the tires had left the safety of the ground, and it skidded, hitting the road's railing, and launching itself off the road._

 _The memory faded, nothing left to it, and it instead brought the next memory behind it. Sounds of beeping surrounded him, and made their way into his conscious first. Something was tight and in the crook of his left arm. It felt like his lungs had an elephant sitting on them, each breath straining. Each breath humidified around his nose, which brought the sensation of elastic hugging the sides of his face. Nobuyuki's eyes fluttered open, and he took in the sight around him._

 _"Nobuyuki?" Ashley's voice reached him. He looked to the right, where she sat, and his right hand made to pull off the breathing mask he wore, but his right pointer finger had a blood oxygen meter on it._

 _In a moment, Ashley was next to him, pressing his chest back down to the hospital bed. "Don't move," she said, her voice thick. As she came into his view, he could also see that her head had bandages wrapped around it and cuts and scrapes up her arms and over her cheeks._

 _Nobuyuki pulled the breathing mask down anyway. "What happened?"_

 _Tears wells in Ashley's eyes and she stilled, hands going slack against his chest. "Ashley?" Something occurred to him, then. "Where's Yasu?"_

 _Something in Ashley broke, and she pulled a chair closer to his bed. In hushed tones, as tears rolled down her face, she told him that the car had indeed hydroplaned, a foggy memory, now, and had missed the turn. The car crashed into the forest. Ashley, who had been sitting in the front seat, had been the only one awake enough to place a call for help. She hadn't been able to wake Yasu._

 _The memory faded again, as Nobuyuki's heart broke. Another memory surfaced: days later they returned to school, two returning when three had left._

 _The school had given them a week off to grieve. Both had attended the funeral. After the service, as they left, Yasu's father had told them he was glad that his daughter known them both. Her father, however, hadn't realized they were watching when he took his anger and sadness out on the car with his bare hands._

 _Most of their classmates were grieving, too. Even though she'd been a demon, Yasu had known most of the school. Always going out of her way to make friends, especially with the kids who hadn't seemed to have any. Though not everyone was grieving, and in the library one day, Yumi, Namiko, and Yoshito were talking a little too loudly and Ashley and Nobuyuki heard them smearing Yasu's name and memory. Later that night, Ashley and Nobuyuki went to a hallway, deserted and away from everyone else. "Watch my body," Ashley had said as she sat on the floor, using the wall to lean against. She didn't say anything else, and Nobuyuki didn't ask._

 _It was like she went into a meditative state for twenty minute, but when she stirred, he asked, "What did you do?" She didn't reply right away, waking from her meditative state as if from a deep sleep, her body slow and sluggish._

 _She clenched her jaw. "They won't be bothering Yasu any longer."_

 _And indeed they didn't. Yumi, Namiko, and Yoshito avoided Ashley like the plague from then on out. No mention of Yasu was ever heard to leave their lips again._

 _Ashley had always had talent in her psychic gifts, and she had astral-projected a time or two in the past to play pranks, but Nobuyuki had never seen her use her gifts for retaliation. For Yasu, however, she had in a heartbeat._

 _After Yasu's death, it was like something had clicked off in Ashley. She was quieter, more thoughtful, more intense in her training. She no longer had a sparring partner, but Nobuyuki would often find her facing off against a punching bag for hours and hours and hours. Her gifts grew as well, until one evening when they were hanging out in a common area and she showed him the sparks that flew from her fingers._

 _She did more, flickering the lights around them, turned lights on and off, and even charged Nobuyuki's phone to full power in five seconds flat._

 _"I started noticing it after we got back," she said, looking at her hands as if intrigued by her own power. Nobuyuki didn't have to ask what she meant. After their accident, she meant._

 _And he'd noticed changes in himself, too. He'd never had any gifts or power as Ashley and Yasu had, but slowly, he realized that if he concentrated, he could turn time backwards._

 _On a different night, he brought it up to Ashley. "Oh, really?" she asked, eyes alight. "That's cool! Will you do it now?"_

 _"I can, but you won't remember," he'd said. He'd turned time back twice now, and each time he told Ashley about it, but she always forgot. "Maybe we should write it down so that you know it actually happened?"_

 _She'd taken her notebook she was holding and wrote a note to herself on the next day's page, certain she'd find it when she flipped to the page to take notes during history class._

 _"Turn us back a day, then. I want to try to do better on my biology test."_

 _"I -I can't do more than a few minutes at most." Nobuyuki said. Ashley was thoughtful for a moment, before taking his hand. In an instant, warmth flowed into him where she touched him, filling him with power. It needed to leave. He'd never felt so much raw power in his life. Using that, he turned the day back, and when he saw her for lunch the next day, they took their food out to the courtyard._

 _"How'd you do on your test?" he asked._

 _"I think I bombed it, honestly," she griped. "Probably should have studied harder."_

 _Nobuyuki used that to tell her, again, about his new power._

 _"It's in my notebook?" She asked. "A note to myself?"_

 _He nodded. "Your history notebook."_

 _She took it out and flipped to the page, but there was no note. Nobuyuki took the notebook from her hands and flipped through the entire thing._

 _The note she'd written to herself had disappeared. He stared, slack-jawed, at the empty pages. Ashley watched him. "I still believe you, though." He looked up at her. Her gaze softened. "I know you wouldn't lie about something like that._

 _"Maybe you're the only one who remembers because you're the one turning things back?" She asked, taking a bite of her apple. It was a kind thought, but Nobuyuki wondered if she didn't just feel sorry for him._

 _They got talking about other subjects, and her own power came up in conversation. "I've found a teacher, I think," she said, thoughtful. Rain clouds were gathering on the horizon. It had been almost a month since Yasu's death. "I'm going to go train with her over winter break."_

 _"Where does she live?"_

 _"Somewhere up in the mountains."_

 _With a Look from Nobuyuki, Ashley sighed. "I'll be careful, I promise. I have no intention of dying anytime soon."_

 _Winter break came and went. Ashley left quiet and grieving and returned confident and proud. She was a different person. When she showed him her power they no longer sat inside while she flickered the lights. Instead they drove to a clearing where she pulled the static electricity in the air to her and created a bolt of lightning so large she shattered a nearby tree._

 _Nobuyuki was proud of his friend, but still felt the pangs of jealousy in his chest._

 _The rest of the semester passed uneventfully. Ashley still trained. Before long they graduated and Ashley went back to England to study music at Oxford, while Nobuyuki stayed in Japan._

 _Of course, they spoke every week, filling each other in about their classes and new friends, and organizations they joined. It was decided six months after graudation and missing each other so much it hurt that Ashley would visit Nobuyuki during break the following summer. It would also allow her to visit her teacher, whom she hadn't seen for a year at that point. Her power had been increasing, as she told him about the new friends she'd made at Oxford, demons of course, who were willing to train with her so that she could increase her skill, Chiyo, and Michi. Chiyo was a water demon, and Michi was a strongarm. Chiyo was also studying music, and Michi was a political science major. Both part of an initiative to integrate more demons into the human population._

 _Another six months later and Ashley visited Nobuyuki in Tokyo. They had just about a week to see each other, and they wasted no time. One night, they decided to go to a music bar. It was a little place in downtown Tokyo where Ashley could play, along with others._

 _They spent a good several hours there, meeting other people who had come to play, eating, and playing some more. One was a demon who was a musician, Mako, who was up and coming and making a name for himself in the piano bars. His husband, Takeshi, watched him with kindness in his eyes and a watchful gaze for all that Mako made friends with._

 _Before midnight, Ashley and Nobuyuki decided it was time to head home. Rather than taking the stuffy trains, they walked, meandering down streets. Some were still lit with life, even at that time of night, while others were still and quiet._

 _It was down one of the quiet streets that they were approached by a group of kids. Maybe a few years younger than them, all looking like they were itching for a fight. And of course, they thought they might be able to make a nice dime off of Ashley and Nobuyuki. Who would possibly guess that a young blonde_ gaijin _and a mousey kid with glasses would put up any sort of fight?_

 _The kids jumped Ashley and Nobuyuki, and even though Ashley knew how to fight back, it was obvious very quickly that they were outmatched, until a shadow descended, and after a few punches, the kids ran off._

 _The shadow-man turned, catching the light of a nearby streetlight._

Hiei recognized himself immediately, even seeing himself through Nobuyuki's memories.

 _Memory-Hiei handed Ashley her purse back. "Thank you," she said, taking it and brushing a hand over the scrape on her cheek. Nobuyuki hung back, watching them. "I could have taken them, though." She said with a teasing smile._

 _Hiei, however, didn't look convinced, nor that he was enjoying her teasing. "Looked like it."_

 _He started to go, but Ashley hollered down the street. "What's your name, stranger?"_

 _Hiei stopped, his head turning marginally toward the sound of her voice behind her. Without a word, he disappeared, suddenly, and without warning. Vanishing in the night._

 _The memory changed again, and Genkai's temple took the street's place. It was different though. The heat of summer had descended on the place, and even though it was morning, it was sweltering hot._

 _"I'm not an inn, girl." Genkai's grousing caught Nobuyuki's attention, which snapped back to her after admiring the grounds. "Who's this?"_

 _"He's my friend. You know, the one I told you about last time?" Genkai didn't look convinced. "He'll only be here for today," Ashley continued. "He'll go home tonight, but he wanted to see where I train."_

 _Genkai rolled her eyes, and led her through the temple. "The detective and the others are here. Go say hello and we'll begin."_

 _They were crossing the training grounds when Ashley came to an abrupt halt. "You again."_

 _Memory-Hiei looked annoyed. "Not you."_

 _"What's that supposed to mean?" Ashley took the steps down to the training field, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Nobuyuki followed, not wanting to be left behind with the old lady who hated him. Hiei, of course, had his shirt off, sword in hand. The young man he'd been fighting came up behind him, swinging an arm over Hiei's shoulders._

 _"Hey, Hiei!" He crowed. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"_

 _"She's not my friend, detective!" He spat._

 _The boy only laughed, black hair gleaming in the sun. "Oh, defensive! Hey, I'm sorry about my friend, here. I'm Yusuke."_

 _"Ashley," she introduced herself, ignoring the scathing glare from Hiei. "And this is Nobuyuki. It's nice to meet you," she said to Yusuke, "And to finally get your name," she said, turning back to Hiei with a pleased smile._

 _"You must be grandma's newest student?" Yusuke asked, finally straightening and looking over Ashley's shoulder. She turned as well. Genkai watched them from the porch._

 _"Yeah. She's trained me a few times," Ashley replied._

 _"You must be good if she took you under her wing."_

 _Ashley shrugged. "Define 'good'."_

 _Hiei scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You wouldn't last a second in a real fight."_

 _Ashley's head cocked to the side, her attention shifting back to him. "You're on."_

 _"What?"_

 _"Ladies and gents, I think he just challenged me!" It was Ashley's turn to crow as Yusuke dissolved into laughter and Hiei sputtered in his confusion._

 _Finally finding his words, he spat, "You wouldn't last three seconds."_

 _"So you wouldn't be a "real fight," then?" She interjected. Ashley stepped closer, grinning, eyes alight. "Try me," she challenged with a cocky smile, and stepped away again. As she headed back up the steps to the porch, she turned once, calling back to Hiei. "Meet me here at sunset?"_

 _"We are not-"_

 _"It's a date!"_

 _Yusuke was still howling as Nobuyuki tripped over himself to get away from the glowering Hiei and follow Ashley back up the stairs._

 _Nobuyuki didn't get to see their fight against each other. He left Genkai's temple that afternoon, heading back home. Ashley would spend three days there and then return so that they could see each other once more before she headed back to England._

 _After three days she returned and when Nobuyuki asked about the fight, she only smiled, pleased with herself in some way that she wouldn't name, and changed the subject._

 _As the next year passed, Nobuyuki and Ashley continued their weekly phone chats. Two months after her summer visit to Japan, the topic of Hiei came up again, somehow._

 _Ashley was quiet on the other end. "I…" she trailed off. "I think I like him, Nobuyuki."_

 _"You're not still talking to him, are you?" He asked. "He's an asshole!"_

 _She was silent for a beat. "Well, maybe to you…"_

 _"And he's not to you?"_

 _"He's funny when he tries to be an ass." What was his friend even saying? "He means well. He's coming to visit me in two weeks."_

 _Nobuyuki was stunned to silence._

 _"Hiei." Nobuyuki said to clarify. "The man without a shirt who was so against fighting you?"_

 _"The very same."_

 _Nobuyuki paused, searching his mind for anything to respond with. But how was he supposed to respond to_ that _. His best friend was falling for the prick!_

 _But what could he say? "Does he treat you right?"_

 _"We're just friends." She replied. "But yes."_

 _"But you just said you like him."_

 _"Uh-huh." She waited for him to catch on. And he did. It was the same that had happened with him and Yasu, really._

 _"Are you going to tell him?"_

 _She mused. "Maybe eventually."_

 _And that was the end of that conversation. Eventually it shifted to the proposition of Nobuyuki studying abroad to Oxford next year._

 _"Oh, come on! I've studied in Japan. It's only right that you should come here, too!"_

 _And with that it was decided that Nobuyuki would apply for the study abroad program._

 _Nobuyuki never learned the finer details of Hiei's visit with Ashley, but after he left she started the student-led organization,_ Coexist _. Hate attacks against demons had been on the rise. It plastered the news, and Ashley said she wanted to fight it, at least in her small bubble at Oxford. She was the founding member, along with Chiyo and Michi, but by the end of their sophomore year the group had grown to over one hundred humans and demons. They wanted peace between humans and demons, and put on educational events to educate humans about demons and vice versa. Every time Nobuyuki talked to her that year it sounded like the group had grown, or she and Hiei were getting together to see each other._

 _It was like she had an entire life apart from him._

 _He tried not to be jealous, but envy ate at him. They used to be joined at the hip, him and Ashley and Yasu. But Yasu was dead, and Ashley was half a world away. The only thing to quell his tears at night was the promise that he would be part of her world again soon._

 _And he was. Their junior year came and he went to Oxford, joining the mathematics program. He joined_ Coexist _and attended rallies and held study sessions with Ashley and her friends. Soon, he made friends, too. The kids on the debate team, his classmates, even other demons in_ Coexist _. Hiei came by every so often, usually whisking Ashley away for a weekend and leaving her breathless when he returned her. Sometimes he hung around, but he was always silent._

 _As the months wore on, he started staying around more and more often. When Nobuyuki asked Ashley about it, she replied, "I've asked him to. Chiyo was saying how much he intimidates her, and I'd like for us all to be friends, if possible."_

 _And and the months passed and they saw Hiei more, more and more rallies against demons started popping up. But none more concerning to Ashley as_ HAD _, Humans Against Demons, a group sprouting out of Cambridge._

 _"Michi went over to Cambridge last weekend," Ashley began. She'd called everyone over to her apartment. It was originally supposed to be a study session, but it had dissolved into discussing how they could support_ Coexist's _message elsewhere. The topic of conversation had started taking over most of their conversations as of late. "He learned who_ HAD's _leader is: Isla Thompson. And they're planning a rally on the thirty-first."_

 _"You want to go, don't you?" Nobuyuki asked, hoping to cut off her proposition before it ever took root in her mind._

 _"We should be there!" Ashley nearly shouted. Chiyo, Michi, Ashley, Nobuyuki, and Hiei were all crammed into Ashley's tiny living room. "We can't let them do this! Demons attend Cambridge, too. They deserve a safe place to learn."_

 _Chiyo was already shaking her head. "It's a bad idea, Ashley. Any number of things could go wrong, but it could turn dangerous. If they're this agitated that they'd hold a rally, we should just let the authorities handle it." She caught Nobuyuki's eye from across the coffee table. They often tried to talk Ashley down from the crazier ideas._

 _"We can't just stand by and let her spread her intolerance," Michi shot back._

 _The conversation went back and forth for several minutes until it was decided that they would drive over the night of the rally, along with anyone else from_ Coexist _who wanted to go, and fight back against_ HAD _. The rally would be in a week. Plenty of time to make signs and gather more people to go with them._

 _The day-of, it was decided Nobuyuki would join Ashley and Hiei at Ashley's apartment and then they'd take Ashley's car and drive with the others over to Cambridge._

 _"-Look, I'll be safe, okay?" Ashley's voice drifted to Nobuyuki as he slipped into her apartment. He met eyes with Hiei, who looked half asleep, knee cocked up and leaning against the wall of her living room. "You don't need to worry so much."_

 ** _"_** Oliver _?" Nobuyuki mouthed to Hiei who merely nodded. Ashley was absorbed in whatever her brother was saying, phone pressed to her ear and pacing the room. She shot Nobuyuki a quick wave and grin before whatever Oliver said on the line caught her attention again. She was wearing jeans and a denim jacket over what looked like a long-sleeved t-shirt. A beanie slouched low against her loose waves. Really, she looked like a rebel rather than a supporter; her clothes were mostly dark, save for the shirt under her jacket. Hiei was no better, clad in his usual black and white scarf. Nobuyuki at least had had the forethought to wear something lighter in color. It would likely help to identify their group if they had chosen a color to wear, but that thought hadn't occurred to him until it was too late._

 _"Yeah I know it's your job to worry about me, but you do enough of that for the both of us." Ashley paused, listening. "That can't stop me, though, you know? There's about to be a huge rally at Cambridge._ Cambridge _, Oliver. Your alma mater. I can't just stand by and watch it happen. But I'll be safe." She glanced at Hiei. "Yes, I'll stay with Hiei, but you know I can defend myself, too." A moment later, Ashley's face lit up. "Hi Charlie! You two behave yourselves, okay? I'll call you when I get home tonight. Love you, Oll."_

 _Ashley hung up and turned back to face her boys. "Oliver warning you not to go?" Nobuyuki asked. He'd sat gingerly on Ashley's couch as she'd talked, careful not to get too close to Hiei._

 _"For good reason, too," Hiei replied, finally speaking. His gaze never left Ashley. "He's had a vision."_

That _caught Nobuyuki's attention, but before he could speak Ashley chirped, indignant, "A feeling! A feeling isn't a vision!"_

 _"If Oliver says we shouldn't go, I'd want to listen to him," Nobuyuki said, but neither of the others were paying attention to him. Nobuyuki had gotten to know Ashley's family over the years, and even though Oliver didn't have electricity like Ashley, or an ability to communicate with the spirits as Sophia did, he was always exactly right when it came to his premonitions, even if they did only manifest themselves as feelings._

 _Ashley and Hiei glared daggers at each other. If Nobuyuki didn't know better he'd think they were having an internal war within the Jagan, but the third eye wasn't glowing. No, they were communicating by mere Look alone._

 _"Look," Ashley finally said, turning to Nobuyuki as Hiei scoffed and turned away. Ashley was about to get her way. "Oliver isn't really talented, just useful. If he says he's got a bad feeling, I'm going to listen to him, but that's all we can really do. We'll be safe and keep our wits about us, but we can't put our lives on hold because he's got a feeling."_

 _Even Hiei knew he wasn't going to get anywhere by arguing with her, so they left, piling into Ashley's car. Michi and Chiyo took another car, along with more members, and there was even a third car, all headed to Cambridge University._

 _The rally was easy to find, especially with Thompson on a megaphone. It was more of a march through campus than a rally, as Michi originally reported, and the students were angry, carrying signs and shouting something in a chant. They were almost too hard to make out. Something about being human._

 _Ashley led their little group toward the rally, like a spearpoint, or the tip of an arrow. She looked like an angry goddess, having to reprimand her children. The rest of the group flanked her on either side. Looking around, Nobuyuki realized that Hiei had disappeared, likely leaving this little activity to Ashley but keeping watch in case things got out of hand._

 _She bee-lined toward Thompson, who pulled away from the main rally to meet her in the middle. Long dark hair was pulled back, brown eyes glaring Ashley down. She stood maybe an inch or two above Ashley, but Ashley didn't falter. Still yelling into her megaphone, it was easier to understand her from ten feet away. "Keep Humanity Human! Keep Humanity Human!" Over and over and over. The march behind her came to a halt, all chanting the same thing. Nobuyuki glanced at Michi and Chiyo, as well as the other demons who had come with them. They all looked a little nervous in front of the rally before them. And Nobuyuki didn't blame them. The people in the march all looked like they were ready for a fight. All they needed was a push._

 _"And what will you do," Ashley began yelling back, her voice nearly drowned by the megaphone and the chanting, but she soldiered ahead. "Will you harm your brothers and sisters? They are people too! All looking for a better life!_

 _"How do you hold so much hatred and fear in your heart?" One of the other humans they had brought with them, Anthony, jumped in, a few feet down their row, shouting defenses back at the rally. Another human jumped in, shouting back, maybe fifteen feet away._

 _Nobuyuki looked to Ashley, who held out her hand to him. He took it, as did Michi on his other side. One by one they joined hands, blocking the rally from going any further._

 _But the rally seemed to swell on the other side. Humans pushed, surging forward, threatening_ Coexist's _chain, but no one touched them. It was a threat only, meant to make them nervous. Isla moved in front of Ashley, pacing in front of her like a lion before a kill._

 _She turned to her rally-mates behind her, and shouted louder, if it was possible, directing them like a conductor._

 _"Why are you so adamantly defending them?" Isla turned back to Ashley, megaphone forgotten as the rally chanted behind her. Nobuyuki only heard because he was next to Ashley, who stared Isla down, sparks igniting behind her eyes. "Have you taken one as your mate? I've heard they mate like animals. You're as low as they are. They are nothing! Trash that's taking our resources, taking our jobs! You can join them in hell!"_

 _Isla pushed Ashley, making her fall backwards, the chain of their hands breaking._

 _The rally surged in front of them, all shoving forward as one unit until Nobuyuki fell as well, his glasses skewering. Somewhere to his left he heard Michi's roar for him, but students were everywhere. He tried pushing himself up, but someone else pushed him back down._

 _Chaos. Absolute chaos. He finally rolled to his stomach and lifted him self up with his palms, crawling away from the crowd, or where it seemed like the crowd was gathered. Shouts filled his ears, screams. The shrill blast of police whistles cut through the chaos like a beacon in the night. "Ashley!" He called, but his voice was barely audible even to him. "Ashley!" Pushing his glasses up his nose, Nobuyuki reached the edge, and got to his feet, looking around him._

 _Police had descended on the scene, pulling students apart and forcing them away from each other. "Ashley!" He yelled again, and a flash of blonde caught his attention to his right. Blonde hair disappearing around a corner._

 _He followed, sprinting after her. "Ashley!" He called again, willing his feet faster and faster, pounding against the pavement._

 _As he rounded the corner, however, it took him a moment to take in the sight in front of him. Ashley and Isla stood close, almost hugging, but Isla's mouth dropped in shock and Ashley had frozen. "Ashley!" Nobuyuki yelled again, even though she was in hearing distance of him now._

 _But she didn't turn. She didn't turn to him at all. Her hands hovered at her torso, around Isla's, who stepped away and yanked away a small blade, covered in -_

 _Ashley dropped to her knees as Isla dropped the blade she had been holding. The blade that had entered Ashley. The world ground to a halt. The screaming and whistle blasts just around the corner narrowed into nothing. Silence reigned, except for the ringing that grew in his ears. Ashley collapsed to the ground just as Nobuyuki heard her name again. In an instant, he was at her side, rolling her over._

 _A wind blew through the alley, and as Nobuyuki looked up over his shoulder, Hiei was already there, his blade drawn and sticking through the other side of Isla. She fell to the ground next to Ashley, but she was ignored as Hiei turned to Ashley and Nobuyuki, and he dropped to his knees, hands useless on either side of her._

 _Nobuyuki did the only thing he knew to do, pressing his hands to Ashley's torso. He could feel the hole in her body, leaking blood into the world. Warm blood, and taking the warmth from her body, even as he pressed._

 _She cried out in pain as he did, but soon the cries lessened. "Are you a healer?" Nobuyuki yelled at Hiei, who looked like the world had just been ripped from him._

 _He looked as helpless as Nobuyuki felt. Glancing down at Ashley, he could see the light beginning to leave her eyes as she turned to look at Hiei. Small movements to look at him, trying to find him. She opened her lips, as if the say something, but the words hovered there, unspoken, as her lips quivered in effort._

 _"Turn it back," Hiei said, nearly inaudible. When Nobuyuki hesitated, Hiei bellowed, "Turn it back!"_

 _"I -I can't!" Nobuyuki shot back, much less strong than Hiei. "I've only ever been able to turn back_ minutes _. I can't do anything else without her help!"_

 _As he watched her face grow slack, the paleness of death descending over her, an idea formed. He didn't have enough time to think it through, or check to see if she was even still alive. "Push your energy into her." He shouted at Hiei, moving so that he was positioned over her body, on either side of her wound. It was now Hiei's turn to hesitate. "Do it, Hiei!" Ashley had always been able to transfer her energy to Nobuyuki, so would that allow her to act like a wire to pass Hiei's energy to him?_

 _Hiei shifted so that he was pressing his hands into her shoulders. Nobuyuki felt it immediately, the growing warmth into Ashley's body as Hiei's demonic energy flowed into her, and from her, into Nobuyuki. She'd lost so much blood. There was no other way. He could only pray it would work and that they were in time._

 _But Hiei forced so much energy into her so quickly, it was like the full force of a damn breaking, it was all Nobuyuki could do not to rip his hands away from Ashley in pain. Instead he concentrated. Concentrated on turning it back. He'd always pictured himself turning back the hands of a clock in his mind - his way to access his gift - and this time was no different, but as he pictured the hands of the clock turning back, they sped away from him._

 _Without warning, everything blurred together, colors melding together as the alleyway disappeared, going backwards. Lights twinkled, passing him like shooting stars passing through the night. At the sudden lightness of his hands, he looked down. Ashley had disappeared, as had Hiei. All that remained was the concrete bricks below Nobuyuki's shoes. Standing, awe struck him. It was beautiful, the way the world moved as he forced time backwards. He watched as students came and went past they alley, rushing backwards as if pulled by an invisible string. Turning his head, the scenery changed, and he was looking at Ouran, half a world away. Glimmering architecture of the main entrance hall gleamed under the sun as the it rose and set and rose and set._

 _He was separate from the world. The world was blurred and turned back, whereas his body was solid. It was as if he was watching himself in a slow-motion video._

 _He had never had this power. The power to turn the world back not minutes or days, but_ years _. Because that's what it was. As he saw students walking backwards and the sun rising and setting and rising and setting, he moved from Cambridge, to Oxford, to the University of Tokyo, to Ouran. It was the scenery around him changing; he didn't even need to move._

 _Even if he'd tried to stop it, a part of him didn't want to. It was beautiful and surreal, though a part of him knew he should stop it. But he had to save Ashley._

 _Ashley._

 _Turning, Nobuyuki saw that he was no longer surrounded by anything he recognized, but rather in front of a house. Two stories tall, steps led up to the small porch and a red door. The rosebushes in front of the steps were small and blooming. Neon color of new growth sprouted from everywhere on the tree in front of the house. Three bronze numbers were nailed to the porch next to the front door: 703._

 _The houses around the house were blurred, still, but no people moved between them. It was as if time had slowed down. The house itself was solid, just as he was, and the people who stood on the porch were also solid. Ashley stood there with a woman dressed in a burgundy dress, and she was smiling. He watched her interact with the person, and her smile faded before she wrapped the person in an embrace._

 _Nobuyuki didn't have to close the distance between them because Ashley bounded down the porch's steps and approached him._

 _"Is it time?" She asked, though he wasn't sure how she knew that it was time._

 _"It is," he found himself saying, and took her hand. She squeezed his once, and squared her shoulders. After a brief nod to the person still watching them on the porch of the house, they set out, passing through the picket fence that surrounded the house, as easily as if they were passing through air._

 _On the other side, they were in an unfamiliar hallway. It was a house, with light fixtures every few feet along the walls. The sound of soft voices and the clink of glass could be heard from somewhere below them._

 _"I'll find you again," Nobuyuki said, suddenly finding cotton lodged in his throat. Ashley's hand, which he still had in his, was beginning to disappear. It was as if he couldn't quite hold onto her like he had before._

 _Ashley turned to him, nearly transparent, but before she could speak her body faded away, like a ghost._

 _Tears, as much as he wanted to clamp them down, burst forth. Loss flooded him, even if he knew that Ashley was alive, his best friend was gone for the time being. He would just have to meet her again. Get to know her again. Begin their friendship all over again._

 _"Now, enough hiding," a voice caught his attention. It drifted from the room just to his right. "Come on back down and play for us all so I can sing to these wankers at the top of my lungs and make their ears bleed!"_

 _Oliver?_

 _"Oh, please, Oll. Don't embarrass me!"_

 _Ashley?_

 _Nobuyuki stepped closer, and could just barely see through the cracked door. Ashley embraced Oliver on the other side, and he was saying, "-Just up the road a ways. Maybe you could come visit me?-" He kept talking, saying something about going to Cambridge, but the words disappeared. Nobuyuki was staring at Ashley. His best friend. She was young, her face still round with youth and her hair straight in the way that told him she still didn't know how to style it._

 _The Ashley in front of him was just barely older than when he had met her so many years ago in the courtyard of Ouran._

 _Neither Oliver nor Ashley seemed to notice Nobuyuki at first._

 _Oliver led the way out of the room, Ashley following him. Nobuyuki stepped back. Even if they didn't notice him, they would likely notice if they ran into something solid. He didn't make a sound, but hovered next to them as they shut the door behind them._

 _"You coming?" Oliver waited for her halfway down the hallway. Ashley had stopped in front of Nobuyuki, staring through him._

 _Nobuyuki's stomach dropped. Of course she could feel him. Even before her psychic powers developed she had always had the sense._

 _But she turned away after a moment. "Yeah! Just thought I saw something!"_

 _Oliver laughed as the memory began to fade. "Is this house haunted, too?"_

* * *

The memory faded away, bringing Hiei back to Genkai's study.

It had been one thing for Sophia to tell him that time had gone backwards, and to see Ashley's file to prove it, and another to actually see her death. _Feel_ her life slipping from between his hands and not be able to do a damn thing about it.

Nobuyuki didn't look any more confident than he had before the session.

"Do you all remember that day several years ago? People went missing. Thousands of people. It was all over the news for months. It was worse than those planes disappearing. Thousands of people just… vanishing… overnight."

He said it like it was an observation and less like a question.

Still, Kurama answered. He hadn't moved from his spot by the door. "Those were the people who had died previously, am I correct? Even time cannot bring back Life."

Nobuyuki nodded. "I thought I was going to get to see Yasu again. Protect her from her own death. I knew what was going to happen, after all, I thought I could-" His voice broke off, and he took a moment to compose himself. "But you're right. Everyone who had died previously disappeared, because how could I bring them back? I couldn't."

Tears welled in his eyes behind his glasses, but the firm set of his clenched jaw and steel gaze told Hiei that they weren't about to deal with a sniffling boy, thank the three worlds.

"But why is it so different?" Yusuke asked, brow furrowed and his elbows resting against his knees. "I mean really, though. Before she was this incredible psychic, even before her _reishi_ developed. But now she's just now coming into her psychic reishi."

"It's free will," Nobuyuki said, quietly. That caught all of their attention, once more. "Free will rules. Even if I send time back and you're in the same situation you were originally, you might make a different decision based on how you feel that day. Or maybe someone else makes a different decision that affects your decision."

"That makes zero sense." Yusuke griped. Hiei was even confused. Kurama and Genkai looked like they were the only ones who actually got it.

Still, Nobuyuki explained further, "Say someone is at a coffee shop drinking coffee. Someone else decides they need to get up to get another drink, but they trip on a chair leg. They stumble into the person drinking coffee. Maybe that's how the two meet. How they eventually get married. Time goes backward. Maybe the person who was originally drinking coffee decides they want a cold drink that day. They can sit at the same table, or maybe they want to be closer to a window that day. So they sit closer to the front of the store. The person who originally stumbled into them might be running late that day. So they're hurrying and not paying attention. As they cross the street, someone might hit them if they're not paying attention. Or maybe the drivers are paying attention and they dodge the person trying to get to the coffee shop. But if the person makes it to the coffee shop, there's no way to know if they will meet their beloved. Does that make sense? Everyone has their own ability to choose each and every day. Nothing is sure."

"But Ashley and Hiei found each other in both time lines." Yusuke interjected. The frustration behind it all was evident in his voice. Some of it made sense, sure, other bits didn't. Hiei felt the heat rising in his cheeks and pushed the emotion away, keeping his face impassive.

Nobuyuki looked like a lost puppy. He shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know. I don't know how or why that would work. Or if there's even an explanation."

Sophia had made it clear she would not divulge in the memories that were locked in Hiei's mind. But it nagged at him anyway. Surely there was a way to unlock those. Maybe there was something in them that could help them find the Legion. Some clue that no one might have otherwise picked up on.

Just from Nobuyuki's memories, he could assume that the Legion had not existed previously. Maybe they would have come up later from the hatred that existed in the world, but it did not seem that they did, even when Ashley and Nobuyuki were in college.

Genkai's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Has she shown any talent in the energy transfer gift she had before?" Genkai asked, directing her question to Hiei.

"I've tested her. Only until recently did she start showing any promise to even having that ability. But Sophia made a good point when Kuwabara and I saw her." He'd told them in the debrief before, after he and the oaf had come back from the House, so they all knew what Sophia had said. Ashley's willful ignorance likely had kept any of her psychic abilities from fleshing out in this time line.

"And Sophia had made it clear that we needed to find Nobuyuki in order to stop Ashley's death, correct?" Kurama asked. He likely already knew the answer, but Hiei voiced it anyway.

"She said that if we didn't find the man responsible for the time manipulation, Ashley would die before next winter-"

His voice cut off, mangled as another memory floated to the surface.

It had only been a fortnight ago, but with Ashley's kidnapping, Hiei had only told them the important bits that Mukuro had shared about Navia.

He hadn't thought to share with them about the crazy old bat who took care of pools of water and what she had said. But now, the memory of what she had told him, floated to the surface, and in the midst of what Sophia had said and where they were, it seemed more important than ever.

He told them the story of finding Amma in that little clearing, the pools of water, how he couldn't hear any sound even though the village had been within hearing distance, and he repeated to them what she had said: " _You are one of the four most tied to the Event. Your future will not be easy. The girls are at the center, and they will have the hardest time. One already is. But you must find her and the other. Time is relative, and so is death. There are many ways to die._ "

There was a beat of silence, but Yusuke was the first to break it, "What the hell does that even mean?"

Kurama had raised a hand to his chin, deep in thought. "One of the four tied to the Event. I would assume that the Event is the time-turn, if she's referencing that. I feel that we can assume Amma was giving us our first warning, and Sophia was giving us the second. Sophia had said that she knew Amma, correct? Is it possible that Sophia and Amma are colluding?"

"I'm guessing Sophia will do whatever she can to save her sister," Yusuke replied, leaning back in his chair. "So let's say that the "Event" is actually the time-turn. She said that Hiei was one of the four. Obviously Nobuyuki is one of the four, so we have two. And Ashley is the third. I mean, Nobuyuki wouldn't have ever tried to even turn it back so far if she hadn't been about to die. But the fourth?"

The word was so quiet, Hiei wondered if he'd heard wrong, but the others' attention turned to Nobuyuki at the same time.

"A little louder?" Yusuke asked.

Nobuyuki looked up at all of them, as if he hadn't realized he'd spoken loud enough for anyone else to hear. His eyes were wide behind his glasses. "Isla. Isla Thompson. The- the other girl."

The room stilled, like all the air had been sucked out.

Yusuke broke it first. "Isn't that-?"

"Yes." Kurama cut him off, his voice chilled. Nobuyuki looked between them, confused.

Kurama took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and let it out slowly, glancing back to Hiei, who seemed to have turned to stone. Turning his attention back to Nobuyuki, Kurama spoke, "Isla was Ashley's best friend in this time. She died about a month ago. She was caught in the Heathrow attack."

A chill slipped down Hiei's spine, hearing it spoken aloud.

 _The girls are at the center, and they will have the hardest time. One already is. But you must find her and the other. Time is relative, and so is death._

"Amma said something else, too," Hiei began, wondering if he should even voice his thoughts. What would they accomplish? But a fog had descended in his brain; it felt like he couldn't think straight. He needed to voice them and see what Kurama could figure out. Kurama could help him. He repeated what she'd said about Death.

"We never found her body," Yusuke mused, finishing Hiei's thought. A note of hopefulness filled his statement.

"We never found her body," Kurama replied, "because she was in the terminal section that collapsed and later exploded. Few bodies were found in that terminal."

"But Amma said that _after_ Isla died. I went to Demon World _after_ Heathrow." Hiei had rarely been one to grasp at straws, but in that moment, fear gripped him. Four closest to the Event. They _had_ to find the four. They had three. They had had Isla at one point, and she'd left, only to die. The warning in Amma's tone had been evident. _They_ _had to find her_.

Genkai had been silent up until that point, but it was then that she spoke from her desk. "She's _dead_ , Hiei. It's time to come up with Plan B."

* * *

They spent the next three hours discussing possibilities and strategies, and got Nobuyuki's take on things to come. The red lines and news clippings and writing on his bedroom wall had been possible time lines that he had charted, trying to follow his best friend through the years from half a world away.

It was creepy, and almost stalker-ish, and Hiei was not a fan in any way, but he couldn't deny that Nobuyuki's knowledge of time and how it worked as well as what had already passed was helpful. He was extremely useful, though he didn't want the kid getting anywhere near Ashley any time soon.

Genkai was finally the one to call off their planning session after little had been accomplished. It was hard to formulate a plan when no one knew exactly _how_ Ashley would die in the coming year. They needed to save her, yes, but how? That was another story. Even Nobuyuki was at a loss. Though Sophia had been clear that they needed to find him to save Ashley, the _why_ behind that eluded them.

Kurama walked with Hiei back to the kitchen, Yusuke parting ways outside Genkai's study. Genkai, however, went to go find Kuwabara and fill him in, taking Nobuyuki with her. They had stayed in the study for long enough that Kuwabara was likely somewhere on the grounds by then, which meant Ashley and Yukina were somewhere as well.

Kurama didn't try to talk to him as they walked, which was fine, really. His mind was still reeling from it all. When they finally reached the kitchen, they could hear voices on the other side.

Yukina sat at one end of the table, and Ashley sat across from her. They chatted like old friends, and when Ashley saw the boys walk through the door, her face lit up, her gaze finding Hiei's immediately.

"Are you guys done? Did you get any good information?"

The way she asked it, Nobuyuki's memories surfaced, the time that he met her the first time. She had been a light in his life, and now, at the kitchen table she was still a light.

A light who had nearly died.

The memory of Nobuyuki's memory flooded back, chilling him where he stood. Seeing the blade pull from her torso, blood splattering, feeling her blood leaking out of her as Nobuyuki tried to put pressure on the knife wound. But blood kept pooling. Watching the light fade from her eyes as she looked from Nobuyuki to Hiei who had fallen to his knees next to her. Beneath Nobuyuki's hands, her body grew cold, even though her blood was still warm.

The memory faded, leaving him standing in the kitchen.

"Hiei?" She asked, from the table. Even Yukina had turned to him in her chair.

In that moment, he wanted to run. Find a tree somewhere and shout into the void. Destroy something. Anything. He needed to get these memories out of his mind. These memories he never thought he would have to see. The room's walls felt like they were pressing down on him, suffocating him. He needed _to get out of there._

But Ashley was still staring at him. Her light. He would _not_ allow her to die a second time. She deserved more.

Taking a shaky breath, Hiei cleared his head, and the walls stopped shrinking. Without a word, he moved, walking around the table to take a seat next to Ashley.

"We got a lot of information," he replied, sitting so that he wasn't leaning back in the chair, but leaning forward, one hand on her thigh beneath the table.

Her surprise was gift enough.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Twenty-Nine -**_

* * *

 **I AM ALIVE AND MOVED. Happy 2019!**

 **I am so sorry to have been away for so long; my absence was not planned to be that long _at all_ , but after moving I was faced with several issues with the new place. All are taken care of now, but there for awhile things were a little crazy.**

 **So a little about what's going on in this chapter. We finally get an explanation of Oliver's power. I never wanted to make Oliver too powerful. I always wanted to reserve that spot for his sisters. Instead I drew from my own experiences for his gifts. I have always had _feelings_ whenever something negative was about to happen. I can't explain it, and even if I did most people wouldn't believe me, and honestly I don't blame them. It's fucking weird. There was one time that I remember in clear detail that for about eighteen months leading up to the event, I knew that someone was going to die. I knew that they would have just had a birthday, and it would be before their 18th birthday. I knew it would be before Christmas, and I knew that it would be someone close to me. It would render me in tears, this feeling, this dread. Family thought I was being dramatic, others threatened to make me stop watching anime because they thought it was stemming from "that negative influence." I wondered if my mind wasn't just making things up.**

 **Well, on November 27 of 2007 a friend of mine died. She had turned 17 the month before. It was sudden, and it was jarring. My high school brought in counselors for weeks after the accident because so many of us were destroyed over her death. After that I began ignoring any feelings of the sort and brushed them off as one thing or another. That time in my life is also where my inspiration for Ashley's willful ignorance comes from.**

 **Anyway, we're now at a point where I feel comfortable sharing tidbits like this with you all without the worry about giving too much away. I'll share pieces from time to time.**

 **Thank you to Lestatsgirl15, OdinsReaper, Goose, musicnutftw, Tsarashi, Wistfulsin, and a guest for your _AMAZING REVIEWS._ Holy hell, they have kept my spirits lifted in these months since I last updated.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	30. Drunken Shenanigans

**Content Warning: mentions of alcohol and drinking**

* * *

Chapter Thirty

 _Drunken Shenanigans_

Dinner was an uneventful affair, but afterward some demons returned from patrolling, bringing sake and beer. Old friends of Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara. Hiei quietly explained that they had all met over a decade previously, during something called a Dark Tournament. As much as Ashley wanted to ask, the tallest one had crossed the room, already slurring his words, and embraced Hiei in a hug, much to the disdain of Hiei.

Ashley, of course, couldn't help but laugh, or at least try to hide her laughter from Hiei who shot her a scathing glare over the muscled forearm of the man.

His name was Chu, she learned soon after he embraced her, as well. Hiei looked ready to take his arm off, but really, it was okay.

The others were Jin, who was only about as tall as she was with his flaming red hair, sky blue eyes and small horn sticking out of his forehead, and Touya, who was quiet and watched everyone carefully. Ashley guessed he probably noticed more than he should, with his sharp gaze. Really, while he was the shortest, he was the most intimidating. Jin, however, could have made friends with drying paint. He was light on his feet - another elemental demon - and high energy. Immediately she liked him the most, though trying to understand him through his Irish accent was close to impossible. Even Chu with his Australian accent was easier to understand.

Hiei looked like he wanted to slink away from the group, but it was decided - without his input - that they should open the sake and beer on Genkai's porch and catch up.

At least, they were there until Genkai kicked them off and told them to get smashed elsewhere.

They didn't go far. A fire pit had been placed several feet from the main porch at some point during Genkai's ownership of the temple. Only two chairs surrounded the pit, and a few logs as well. Yukina and Keiko both took a chair with Kuwabara and Yusuke leaning up against the chair at their feet. The others gathered around the pit as Yusuke goaded Hiei into lighting the wood in the pit. Ashley took a seat on the ground, against one of the logs, and soon Hiei joined her, sitting on her right side. They were just barely touching, but Ashley could still feel the heat rising off of Hiei, and his proximity felt like a live wire.

He had joined her at the kitchen table in Genkai's kitchen earlier that day, placing a hand upon her leg. Honestly, she had been wondering if he'd eaten something bad. He _never_ touched her with others around, but even now, as they settled together against the log, he threw his left arm over her shoulder, hugging her to him. One knee cocked up, he had the other arm braced against it, watching the others chatter.

Ashley's chest warmed at the touch, as heat raced through her. "Are you sure?" She whispered to him, turning only slightly. This close, he smelled like the pine trees he so often liked to perch in, and hints of the bonfire he just started. He smelled like home.

He, in turn, shifted to look at her better, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Without a word, he turned back around and squeezed her closer to him.

She relaxed into his touch.

The others also gathered around the fire: Kurama, Chu, Jin, Touya, and Bjorn. Within an hour, conversation dissolved from catching up to games as the night wore on.

"So, the thing you have to do," Ashley began. Somehow the game "Never have I Ever" had been brought up and Ashley and Keiko were the only ones who knew how to play. "Is say something about you that's true. So like, for example: Never have I ever kissed someone I didn't like. And if you _have_ done that thing, you take a drink. But you have to keep track of how many drinks you take. If you get to 10 things you have done you're out of the game and the rest of us keep playing until there's a winner."

"So the winner is the person who has done the least amount of things that other people have done, right?"

"Yeah, that's about it," Keiko added, hands wrapped around her beer as well. The sake had long ago run out, but there was still plenty of beer.

"Well I know who's going to win, then, don't you?" Chu cackled, rolling back as if he was the funniest man in the world. "I bet all'a you by the end of this it'll be those three still standing having a go at one another."

Ashley suppressed a groan. Keiko didn't look too amused, either. Yukina, for all her innocence, only smiled politely.

"We shall see, won't we, Chu?" Yukina asked, sipping on the cup of water in her hand. She had drank some of the sake when it was being passed around but now she only nursed a water. Kuwabara, at her feet, looked far more amused by Chu's comment than anyone else around the fire.

"So do you all want to play or not?" Keiko said.

Chu held up his hands with a grin. "We can give it a go, eh? See how it goes."

"Did Nobuyuki not want to join us tonight?" Ashley asked. Hiei shrugged.

"We asked. He said he didn't," Kuwabara replied.

"But he's not your prisoner, right?" She asked it even though she knew the answer. After Kurama and Hiei had returned to the kitchen, they'd explained that Nobuyuki, while he'd turned back the clock, he hadn't done it with malicious intent, nor intended to turn it back _quite_ so far. They'd also filled Ashley and Yukina in on the biggest details they could, though Ashley was sure that they left some things out. In the place where Hiei had stumbled in explaining, Kurama picked up and changed the subject. The biggest thing, however, was that she and Nobuyuki had been friends in the first time line. Friends. _Best friends_.

It still boggled her mind.

But after the questioning period that the boys and Nobuyuki went through, Nobuyuki didn't show his face again. Hiei assured her that he was somewhere in the temple, likely with Genkai, but that didn't frustrate her any less.

Hiei and Kurama had explained that she and Nobuyuki had been close, and then it felt like he was avoiding her. Maybe she could find him later and they could talk. Whatever reason Nobuyuki decided not to join them, Ashley couldn't figure it out.

"No," Kurama spoke then, answering her question. Even sitting on the ground against an old log he looked elegant. How in the world he managed that Ashley would never understand. "He said he wanted to be alone."

"Grandma's keeping him company, though," Yusuke shot, taking a drink of his beer.

"Alright, then," Keiko shifted in her seat, trying to pull the conversation back to the game at hand. She thought for a moment, finger at her chin. "Never have I ever… kissed a girl."

It was like the entire group paused, thinking for a moment and trying to wrap their mind around whether they had actually kissed a girl. As one, all the boys took a swig, as well as Yukina and Ashley.

As Ashley lowered her beer bottle from her lips, she nearly choked on her drink. The look of absolute shock that had taken over Hiei's expression was enough to send her into fits of laughter, but she didn't want to asphyxiate on her drink, either.

And when he realized that Yukina had also taken a drink -

"Try not to look so shocked, Hiei." Yukina said, the sly smile back.

"You _both_ … have…?"

"Breathe, Hiei," Ashley poked him in the ribs. He barely moved. "I'll tell you all about it later, if you like."

"No, no," Chu cut in, "I'm going to need a story for that one. A little thing like you kissing another girl? I don't believe it."

If Hiei had looked like he wanted to take Chu's arm off earlier, now he was wishing for his head. With a quick glance at Hiei out of the corner of her eye, Ashley took another swig of her beer. "Some guy at a party wouldn't take a hint. So, Isla and I pretended to be dating…"

Surely she wouldn't have to fill in those blanks.

"And you?" Chu pointed at Yukina.

"I grew up with the Ice Maidens," she said, gaze never leaving Chu's.

It was silent for a moment. Then when she didn't continue, Jin crowed, "Well, it looks like the playing field just got a bit more evenly matched, don't'cha think?"

Yusuke was next, at Keiko's feet. "So we can say whatever we want as long as it's true, right?" Several nods met his question. He thought for awhile. "Fuck, I can't think of anything!" Then he caught Ashley's eye from across the fire, and started giggling like a schoolgirl. "Never have I ever read a book in a day."

Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Yusuke watched Ashley take a full swig, eyes narrowed and never leaving his. He didn't even catch Kuwabara or Yukina do the same.

"So it's like that, huh?" Ashley ground out. "Usually the sabotage doesn't start until later."

Yusuke shrugged. "Not my fault. Maybe you should read less."

"Or maybe you should read more." Ashley held his gaze. "Watch yourself, Urameshi." Yusuke's grin didn't falter.

And like that, the game took off.

Bjorn leaned back. "Never have I ever smoked weed."

"No!" Ashley exclaimed. "What do you do, all the way north? During those winters of yours?"

Bjorn chuckled. "We have pissing contests off the fjords to see who's piss freezes first." Yusuke and Chu could barely contain themselves in laughter. Ashley, however, drank.

Chu's was, "Never have I ever kissed a human," when he couldn't think of anything. Ashley, Yukina, and Yusuke drank. When Yusuke asked why the hell Keiko wasn't drinking, she merely leaned back in her chair. "I didn't kiss you until _after_ your demon energy woke. Or did you forget?" Kurama, of course, chuckled politely.

Touya sat a moment, pondering what he had never done. "Never have I ever won the Dark Tournament."

Two groans met his ears as Yusuke and Kuwabara brought their bottles to their lips. Kurama also drank.

"Hiei, you need you drink, too!" Jin piped up from Ashley's other side.

Hiei merely lifted a brow. "Are you not going to play?" Ashley asked.

"No," Hiei replied. "But I'll sit here while you all do."

Ashley sighed, and leaned over Hiei to ask Touya, steeling herself for talking to the demon, "Okay, so what's the Dark Tournament? This is the second time I've heard that name tonight."

" _What_ _'s the Dark Tournament-?_ " Chu burst with surprise. "Hiei, have you been keeping her in the dark?"

Next to her, Hiei bristled. "It's never come up."

" _Never come up_ ," Chu repeated in shock, rubbing a hand down his face.

"Ashley, the Dark Tournament is what these four won over a decade ago. It's a tournament that's here in Human World where all the best demons come to fight for the title." Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei had all gone silent, listening to the others tell Ashley what it was. "If you win, you can have anything you ask for. Many die, but it's great to watch, all the same."

"It's terrifying," Keiko finally murmured, running a finger over the lip of her bottle. "Terrifying and awe-inspiring."

"You've seen it?" Ashley asked.

Keiko motioned to Yukina. "Yukina, Shizuru, Botan, and myself got to watch it the same year the boys competed-"

"Competed is a little much, don't you think? Forced to compete is more like it." Yusuke muttered under his breath.

"And," Keiko continued, not deterred by her fiance, "It's where Hiei mastered the Dragon."

Ashley's attention whipped to Hiei. "Dragon?" He shifted, almost uncomfortably. "Is that the dragon tattoo I've seen on your right arm?"

"Hiei!" Yukina was laughing with incredulity. "You've really told her nothing?"

Hiei's scarlet gaze locked with Ashley. "I've told you the important stuff." Ashley's lips rose in a small smile, and she scooted closer to him.

"I'd like to see it, she muttered in his ear, trying less to be sexy and mysterious and more trying not to let the others hear. "I don't know if there's footage of it, but I would like to see what you can do." She leaned back. Hiei shifted, uncomfortable again, though this time for a different reason. "I've never seen you fight."

He didn't respond, so with that, it was her turn.

"Never have I ever…" she began, searching for something she could use, but thoughts of the Dark Tournament still swirled in her head. "…Nearly died."

After a tense moment, though Ashley couldn't figure out exactly what she'd said to make it _so_ tense, everyone except Bjorn, Keiko, and Yukina, drank.

Jin was next. "Never have I ever…" he looked to Kurama, next to him. "Sustained a wound to the stomach."

Next to her, Hiei took a tense, deep breath. Kurama drank.

"Are you okay?" Ashley asked, leaning in close.

Hiei's lips formed a thin line of frustration. Something was bothering him, but _what,_ exactly, was lost on her.

"I will be," Hiei said instead, and hugged her closer.

From there, the night passed smoothly. The declarations of things they had never done ranged from "broken a bone" to "been in a fistfight" to "flirted their way out of a speeding ticket." On that one, Kurama, Yukina, and Ashley had drank.

After another round, at Keiko's next turn, she said, "Never had-have," she said, mixing her words, though between her and Yukina, they were likely the least-drunk participants, though Yukina had been drinking quite a lot. Girl could hold her beer.

At some point they had given up counting down from ten for elimination purposes and instead just started playing the game for grins. "Never have I ever," Keiko began again, "had psychic or demon powers."

"Hey!" Yusuke exclaimed from her feet. "Just… one!"

"Fine," she pushed his head away from her in good fun. "Never had I ever had psychic powers."

Kuwabara, Ashley, Bjorn, and Yusuke drank. By the time the round reached Bjorn, he was grinning. He was about as sober as Yukina, but only because he'd been taking less sips than anyone else. "Never have I ever had demon powers."

Half the group groaned in protest, but drank anyway. Yusuke leveled a finger at Bjorn. "Fuck… you." He drank, anyway.

Chu took his turn, and the round reached Touya. "Never have I ever been able to speak more than one language." He was thoughtful about it, almost sad. Ashley, Bjorn, Kuwabara, and Keiko all drank.

"What languages can you speak?" Touya leaned forward to see Ashley on Hiei's other side.

"Let's see," Ashley began, leaning forward so she could see him in turn. The last few rounds had convinced her that Touya didn't so much as have a stick up his ass, as he was just quiet. "Japanese, obviously. English, and German," she said, repeating the names of each in their native tongue, too.

"Hey, I can speak, German, too!" Bjorn exclaimed, lighting up. Bjorn listed his, "German, Norwegian, obviously, Japanese, and English." After him, Kuwabara listed his, as did Keiko.

"We must confuse these heathens who don't know German," he said in the language, a mischievous smile lighting his eyes. Ashley immediately caught on.

"We must teach it to them!" she exclaimed back. The others either looked confused, amused, or a cross between the two. "For life is meaningless without German! You just have to sound like you're angry!"

"Slaving away for years and years to learn German. How could they not know it? You would think they didn't have to learn multiple languages in school," Bjorn replied.

Ashley decided to change the subject. "Did you ever try to learn Russian? I decided that would be a great language to learn and three days in I wanted to pull my hair out!"

"I did not," Bjorn replied, amused. "I knew I would hate it, so I decided to avoid that particular tor-"

"We get it!" Yusuke finally shouted at them in his native Japanese. "You can both speak multiple languages. Next!"

"Hey Yusuke," Ashley hissed at him as she settled back against Hiei. She missed the annoyed expression he wore. "That was just _one_!"

He looked ready to knock over the fire pit in agitation, but Ashley spoke her truth, "Never have I ever spat gum in my sister's hair out of spite."

"That sounds more like something you actually did," Chu replied at once, catching the smirk on Ashley's face.

"Oh, you're right." She drank. "Next!"

"Never have I ever punched someone in the face," Jin said.

Ashley was one of the ones who took a drink. Hiei shifted so he could see her, brow raised.

"Some guy back in college wouldn't take a hint. He kept asking me out, and I kept saying no," she said with a shrug. "He started following me between my classes, showing up at my extra circulars, blowing up my phone, talking to my friends behind my back. So I punched him in the face. He took a hint after that."

"I guess he did," Touya muttered.

The night wore on. Eventually Yukina and Keiko went inside and brought out cups of water for everyone. The game disovled into light chatter until Yukina and Kuwabara were the first to rise and head inside for the night. Kurama was next, along with Yusuke and Keiko. The others stayed outside talking for longer, Jin moving closer to Bjorn, Chu, and Touya.

Ashley's attention moved to Hiei, who was watching her, the firelight dancing in his eyes.

"You surprised me tonight," He muttered. His arm was still wrapped around her shoulders, his other still braced against his knee. And where the others sat, it created almost a barrier between them and the other guys. Ashley had long-ago abandoned her beer. The two bottles she'd drank sat empty on her other side. Two was just enough to give her a light buzz, but after the water, her head felt mostly clear. Her hand rested against his chest as she had turned to him. Between the heat rolling off of her fire demon and the fire he'd started just feet from them, she could fall asleep in his arms, the warmth cozy and reminding her that she was safe.

"I'm not as innocent as I seem," She replied with a coy smile. "I wish you would have played. Now you know more about me than I know about you."

His jaw clenched as the wheels in his mind turned. He finally dropped his arm that was braced against his knee and turned to the others. "We're headed in, too," He said, getting to his feet and pulling Ashley to hers with him.

They said their good nights, and walked through the darkened hallways, back to their room. With a glance at Ashley to see her brow raised in question, Hiei sighed. "I promised you earlier in the week that I would tell you about myself, but things with Nobuyuki happened. Do you still want to hear about them?"

It seemed almost too easy, but Ashley bit her lip, eager nonetheless. "Of course." It wasn't like she'd been asking for months or anything.

The futon was pushed against the wall, so they sat on the futon, and leaned against the wall, talking long into the night. Hiei told her everything, everything he could, at least. There were times when his voice stuttered to a halt and the words wouldn't come. When his fists clenched, and he looked away from her, lost in memories. But she learned everything. Everything from being found by bandits as an infant and raised with them, how he grew in power as he matured, his search for the man who could give him a Jagan eye. "I have… a sister," he said carefully when she asked why he wanted it so badly, especially when he told her of the effect it had on his body and his power.

"Have you found her?" Ashley asked. Even though they were alone in the room, they spoke in hushed tones, as if they were afraid to speak too loudly, as if that might jinx the moment they shared.

Hiei's jaw clenched and he looked away again. Ashley didn't press. "What happened after the Jagan was implanted?"

He continued, telling her how he met Kurama, and then Yusuke, then Kuwabara. He told her of the Dark Tournament, and how Yusuke's demon power was awakened during their fight with Sensui, and how he allied himself with Mukuro, and then the Makai Tournament. He told her everything he could. Everything that might answer the questions he knew she had harbored for months. He didn't just want to answer her questions, but a part of him _yearned_ for her to know about himself.

And Ashley didn't interrupt him to ask questions. She let him talk until he would take a breath, or was about to change subjects.

"What about the Dragon they mentioned?" She asked toward the end, between yawns. Surely it was past midnight by then.

"The Dragon of the Darkness Flame," Hiei said, unwrapping his right arm from the bandages he wore. The smoky dragon marking was as clear as the first time Ashley had seen it on that bus to Nikko so many months ago. "I am it's master," he said, glancing up at Ashley to see her expression, but she only held curiosity in her eyes.

"Weren't you worried you might lose your arm?" She asked. He had told her of it's power, and the pain he had experienced as a result from it before he mastered it.

"Not until after my fight with Zeru," he admitted. "Not until it turned black from the burns." Ashley blanched.

"And it will come when you call it?"

He nodded. "From the depths of Spirit World, it will come."

Ashley paused. Hiei could see the thoughts churning behind her eyes and held off saying anything else. She opened her mouth, only to close it. Then opened it again. "I think I had a dream with it."

Hiei turned his head to the side, not believing what he was hearing. "That's impossible."

Ashley laughed. "I can't explain it, but I had a dream of a dragon last week. That day you and I trained before we left here, you remember? I woke up from the dream with it."

Most of her dreams left her after a day or two, if not minutes after she awoke, but this one had stayed with her. How could she forget?

Hiei carefully replied, "I don't think it could have been the Dragon."

He didn't believe her, and why should he? It was impossible. She'd only just learned of the Dragon's existence that night. How could she dream of something that she'd never known about until then?

But the moment after he said it, he looked at her again, and his Jagan began to glow behind the cloth wrapped around his head. "Do you mind?"

She shook her head, and she felt him enter her mind and examine the memory.

The gaze between the two of them never broke. "That's him," Hiei whispered in amazement. "But how-?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ashley replied as the Jagan's glow faded. "Maybe Genkai knows?"

"It's after midnight," Hiei replied. "Tomorrow?"

She smiled. "Tomorrow." A promise.

* * *

For a moment, Ashley wasn't sure what had woken her.

Lying in the futon, she pushed her hand out toward where Hiei usually lay, but his place was empty and cold; he hadn't been next to her in some time.

From far away, thunder rumbled. It was so far, she felt it rather than heard it.

Sunlight streamed through the opened window; Hiei must have opened it on his way out. Rain dripped from the roof, creating a soft patter as it fell.

Thunder rumbled again.

Ashley lay there, debating whether to get up for the day or to drift back off. She and Hiei had been up so late the night before, she was half tempted to continue sleeping, but something urged her up. Something in the back of her mind told her she _needed_ to get up. It was important to. Something just felt… off.

Sitting up, she could see outside easier than she had laying down. The rain had stopped.

But the thing that she realized as she gazed out the window was how _silent_ it was.

Usually when it rained, especially all the way out in the country, the frogs would croak. Birds would sing. This early in the morning there were definitely usually birds.

Ashley swung herself out of bed, her feet cold on the floor, and walked to the window. There was no reason, of course. Being able to see out a window more clearly would not explain where the frogs and birds were.

But even as the rain stopped, there was no sound. No wind. No thunder.

Silence reigned, eerie and unnatural. Gooseflesh rose on the back of her neck.

Then, a sound came, loud and clear and echoing through the world. An unnatural cacophony from the pits of hell itself: like universes shattering, tearing apart worlds. But the noise did not abate, instead growing more intense, and shaking the earth to its core.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Thirty -**_

* * *

 **So this chapter was inspired by two events from my college days. The first happened in my freshmen year at college. I went out to some guy** **'s ranch with my friends from church (one of them knew the guy), and he had a fire pit. We sat around it for hours talking and laughing. Then, during the summer before my senior year at college a bunch of my friends and I gathered on my best friend's patio. There were probably ten of us on a little four by six foot patio, all crammed together playing Never Have I Ever. That was the first and last time I've drunkenly played the game and I loved it. It's one of my most cherished memories, especially since most of the people on that balcony I no longer talk to. So I wanted to combine the two memories for Ashley and Hiei.**

 **A lot of you have mentioned how ready you are for Hiei being a supportive boyfriend. I am SO right there with you. I can** **'t tell you how many of my boyfriends never wanted to touch me in public. One, whom I dated about six years ago, never wanted to even hold my hand in public. Behind closed doors was a different story, but on our last date together he finally took my hand in public as we were leaving a restaurant. I had treated him. We both knew it was going to be one of our last nights together because he was leaving for work at the end of the week and he didn't want to have a long-distance relationship, so we were going to end things. That didn't actually happen, but the point is, we dated for three months and he only held my hand in public at the end, and I cannot tell you how much it hurt, both at the time, and looking back on it. I'm really glad we're at the point where Hiei is shaping up to be a good, supportive boyfriend because I don't know how much longer I could have written him being a dick. Hold your girlfriends' hand in public, you ass. I will also probably never write this type of relationship ever again. Two people deserve a relationship where they don't have to walk on eggshells around each other, but more on that another time. This author's note is long enough.**

 **Also, if you haven** **'t noticed, I don't really write accents. This is especially true with Jin and Chu's accent. But we all know the anime so you are welcome, of course, to read it in their voices. I tried writing stories, at one point, with different accents, but it's just too hard. For one, it clogs the reader's ability to continue reading without stumbling over what the characters could possibly be saying, and two, it's** _ **really**_ **hard to write accents if you** **'re not already familiar with them. And I'm not. So, I decided to save all of us the headache of me trying to write accents. Some readers are particular about this. If you are, I apologize! But you really don't want me to try, I can promise you that.**

 **I know I** **'ve posted two chapters in two consecutive weeks ( _le gasp!_ ) but this is the last time for awhile. I actually need to get things done next weekend. Chapter 31 will be out the weekend after next, so sometime during the weekend of February 16 and 17. I'm no longer going to give an exact date because we all know I never get it out on time anyway…**

 **The people who reviewed last week absolutely have my heart! What a surprise to come back and get so many reviews! Thank you! JohnGreenGirl, OdinsReaper, musicnutftw, and WistfulSin you are all AMAZING.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	31. While You Were Dreaming

Chapter Thirty-One

 _While You Were Dreaming_

"Oh, good," a voice caught Ashley's attention, whipping her head around to the demoness standing behind her. Yukina was fully dressed, her hair pulled into a ponytail which draped over her shoulder. Even though her chest was heaving, like she'd just run the length of the temple, tension pulled every muscle taught in her body. "You're awake. Get dressed."

"Yukina," Ashley began, her name soft on her tongue. As quickly as the noise began, it ended, abruptly. Yukina's eyes scoured the ceiling above their heads, as if searching for something, but at the sound of her name, her gaze snapped back to Ashley. "What's wrong? What was that?"

Yukina didn't reply or repeat what she'd already said. Her only reply was, "Quickly." She said it stern, as if it was imperative that Ashley did as she was told. But the Look that Yukina gave her cemented the idea that Ashley should do as she was told. Ice slid down Ashley's back from the chill of it, hairs standing on end. Whatever it was, it was bad, and Yukina's reaction was telling.

Quickly, she dressed, throwing on the same clothes as she'd worn the night before. Still smelling of campfire, she pulled on the only other article of clothing she'd brought - a sweatshirt - in hopes that one article of clothing that didn't smell of smoke would mask the smell somewhat. It only barely worked.

She raced after Yukina, who led the way through the winding halls of the temple, their footfalls the only sound in the entire building. The crashing had ended from outside, and with it, all sound seemed to have disappeared.

" _What in the three worlds are you doing?_ " Genkai's voice snapped, thin and sharp. It was the voice she used when her patience was worn out. Barely-hidden anger lurked beneath her words, too.

Yukina and Ashley rounded a corner of the temple, to Genkai's office. On her desk sat a small computer monitor. She sat in the chair opposite, elbow braced against one arm of the chair, almost curled into herself - like a cat about to strike. "You're the last person in the world I thought I'd hear from today. Of all days!" She hissed.

Yukina slowly made her way into the room, being careful not to overstep her bounds. Genkai looked up at them and motioned for them to come all the way into her study. Yukina quickly crossed the room and came around Genkai's desk.

"Lord Koenma?" Yukina gasped just as Ashley also came around the monitor. This _Lord_ was nothing more than a teenager. A teenager, with a pacifier in his mouth and dressed in formal robes, purple, and embroidered around the edges with pink stitch work. A red scarf tied about his neck, though formal, his clothes were ripped and dirtied. His face was covered in grime and the telltale red streaks of blood, though his own or another's was undetermined. Brown eyes wild, he glanced back down to the camera in his hand.

"Oh hello, Yukina!" He gasped in greeting as he ran and slid behind something, ducking his head so he wouldn't be seen. "Your husband and his best friend don't happen to be where they could help?"

Genkai nearly growled. "It seems you haven't received the good news. The Guardians attacked four major refugee stations this morning, close to dawn." Ashley's attention whipped to the old woman, the teenager Lord forgotten. "They're helping with relief efforts until the authorities can mobilize."

"Refugee stations?" Koenma whispered, concern washing over his expression as he ducked down behind the object again.

"Oh, you haven't heard, yet? Ashley, this will be good for you too; I won't have to explain multiple times," Genkai said with a touch of disdain in her voice. "Oh, and before I forget, Ashley, this is _Lord_ Koenma, who oversees the Northern Asia region of Spirit World, mostly consisting of Japan, China, and the Koreas. Koenma, this is Ashley."

Koenma didn't look surprised to meet her, but rather, cautious as he took her in. Cautiously defensive. His lips formed a thin line, though his manners didn't dissipate. "Pleased to finally meet you, though I wish they were under different circumstances." His words were stiff, practiced, before his attention switched back to Genkai. "Which stations?"

It felt as though he had given her the barest of acknowledgments, really. Like he would have rather never met her. Like she was nothing more than an annoyance he had to get past.

Yukina glanced at Ashley, brow raised, as if to say, "What was that?". So she wasn't the only one to have noticed, then.

"Nigeria, Poland, British Columbia, and Chile." Genkai named countries where the stations had once stood. "They're estimating that over a thousand are dead."

Genkai said it in a way that she was watching for Koenma's reaction. When he didn't speak, she continued. "And now the _Kekkai_ Barrier has been destroyed, but I suppose you already know that, don't you?"

The question was pointed. A challenge. Koenma blanched, but he heard something and his head whipped behind him, eyes wild as fear slipped back into his countenance. "Hold on!" He whispered as he got to his feet and ran again. All they could hear was his feet slapping against the ground and his breaths heaving as he ran. Eventually he skidded around another corner and waited, trying not to breathe so loudly. Ashley could even feel herself holding her breath, waiting.

"They've overtaken the palace and the control room." Koenma finally said, a whisper. His expression dropped, dread seeping into the lines of his face. Just then, he looked a thousand years old; no longer a teenager. "If the barrier is gone, then…"

"Then they've destroyed the control room." Genkai finished. "So much for shutting the barrier."

Next to Ashley, Yukina paled. "Can the Mafukan…?"

Koenma clenched his jaw. "No," he replied, the word final. "It hasn't been enough time since Sensui." Ashley was completely lost, but just then it wasn't the time to ask questions that could be asked later.

"And Jorge?" Yukina asked next. Fear seeped back into Koenma's countenance.

"He stayed behind… I don't know-" His voice broke, but his meaning was obvious.

Genkai cut in, then, stealing Koenma's attention away from the possible loss of his friend. "We can't help you this time, Koenma," she spoke, some sympathy bleeding into her voice, though it wasn't for long. "You're a Prince of Spirit World. You need to get back there and show the spirits why they follow you. End this rebellion once and for all."

It was all Koenma could do to nod, and without another word, the screen went black.

A beat passed, and Genkai leaned back in her chair before rising and leading the two of them out of the study without a word. They walked through the temple and out to her sloping lawn, stopping just a few feet away from the edge of the porch. Ashley made to follow, but as she stepped out from under the roof, the sky caught her attention. Gasping, she stumbled and froze, forgetting, for a moment, how to follow Yukina.

Hiei had explained the Kekkai barrier the night before. He'd explained how it was created by Koenma's father to keep humans safe from demons who wanted to eat them, and a way to control the more-powerful demons into staying in one location. He'd told her of their fight with Sensui and how Kuwabara had sliced through the barrier once before. But this… this was not a _slice._

From what Ashley could tell, the barrier had extended across the entire sky. Almost like it was a protective wrap around Human World. As far as the eye could see in any direction the kekkai barrier protected them. But now, as she gazed up at the golden net that was visible for the first time, behind the scattered rainclouds that drifted across the sky, it was _destroyed_. Pieces were breaking off, falling toward earth and flickering until they disappeared forever. Parts of the net were gone completely. Only some pieces remained here and there, but they flickered, as if they were about to give in to gravity and fall the endless void to the earth as well.

She'd never seen anything like it.

Blood ran cold in her veins as instinct screamed that seeing _that_ was not normal. It was not natural. And it was definitely not natural that it was breaking apart like it was.

"In your experience," Genkai began, thoughtfully, as she gazed up at the breaking barrier with Yukina and Ashley. "Why do people in power keep other groups of people separate from each other?"

"For safety," Ashley answered immediately, thinking back to what Hiei had told her.

"And?"

Ashley thought back to history lessons of wars won and lost. She opened her mouth to respond, but Yukina beat her to it.

"To prevent those groups from uniting and rebelling against those in power." Yukina was solemn and stoic, as if this was not the first time she'd witnessed something so horrific.

Genkai inclined her head infinitesimally. "Spirit World has often said it's to keep humans and demons apart for safety, especially since so many demons eat humans, but-"

"But Spirit World isn't always truthful about their motives." Yukina answered. "Koenma wasn't being entirely truthful just now." It wasn't a question. A light went off in Ashley's head.

"If he's the ruler, why would he run?" Yes, the spirits had attacked the palace he'd said, but he was supposed to be a god, wasn't he? A powerful being. Genkai shifted. "Unless he's in more danger than he's letting on…?"

"I think, whether he's doing it intentionally or not, Koenma is keeping us in the dark," Yukina replied.

"A way to maintain power even when he's weak?" Ashley asked, but it became less and less of a question as an idea clicked together.

Genkai harrumphed, and turned away. It was a lot to take in. Not only that Spirit World was the one behind the barrier to likely keep the worlds apart, but also that they had their hand in all of their lives, as Hiei had told her the night prior.

Nothing happened without their knowledge. Everything was mapped out. Decided. Final.

Yes, she'd learned all of this the night before, but with the barrier collapsing above their heads, it was like the weight of it all was collapsing upon Ashley.

It rubbed her wrong, quite frankly, that they had so much power to rule over their lives. Why were they the ones to get to do that? Who put them in charge? Why did they get to play God?

"I need to take a walk," Ashley murmured, crossing her arms around her body as a chill spread through her.

"Do you want company?" Yukina asked, turning back to her.

As much as Ashley wanted to accept, she wanted to be alone more. She shook her head.

Yukina, thankfully, understood. "There's a beach a short walk from here. Follow the path and you'll find it."

With a smile of thanks, Ashley left, finding the path easily and following it. Numbness left ice in her veins.

A thousand souls snuffed out. Four locations. Refugee stations… Genkai was talking about the demon refugee stations, so it was likely a Guardian attack, but for the barrier to fall so soon after…. Surely it was only a coincidence, right?

Ashley followed the path, not really paying attention to her surroundings or the early morning light filtering through the trees so high above her head. She didn't pay attention to the birds singing above her either, finally returning to their usual day after the excitement with the barrier only an hour prior.

Her feet carried her through the forest surrounding the temple as if she had any idea where she was going, when in actuality she did not. But the path stretched on before her until it opened up to the promised beach. Sunlight sparkled off the soft waves lapping gently at the shore, but all she could feel was the overwhelming sadness rising up.

No, she didn't need to cry - that wouldn't help anything, or anyone, but even as she thought it, the tears clogged her throat and slipped past her lashes. Sobs pulled from her body stole her strength and she fell to her knees at the edge of the water.

So many dead. So _many_. And for what? To prove a point? To make a statement?

Her sobs only grew louder. No one heard, and no one came. She was at the edge of the world, and besides the birds and the sun and the water and the trees, she was alone. The barrier still broke apart far above her head. She couldn't travel across the world because she didn't have any _power_. The power that she had was infinitesimal at best. And what could she do if she did go? She was weak. A weak little girl with no strength. Nothing to give. Couldn't even help herself.

Memories of the warehouse came flooding back. Memories of Isla's death, of watching Heathrow collapse in on itself. Memories of only being able to land Hiei flat on his back. That was all she could do. A very small thing in a world that wanted others dead. Just for being different.

If she were any younger, her mother would have comforted her, or maybe her sister. She and Oliver would have sat in their father's study in silence and just talked about it. No one else would have wanted to talk about it, but Oliver always did. He always let Ashley express what she was feeling, even if she didn't have the words. Even if she just wanted to cry. He would let her. He wouldn't try to console her, or tell her it was going to be okay. She appreciated her father for that, sure, but Oliver would just let her _feel_. Without expectations or words.

And now he, too, was lost to her. His hatred for those she loved the divider between them. The sobs wrenched themselves from her.

If she'd been at that age, she would have gotten an email or a call from the Dean's College, so that they could call on their members to hold a benefit for those affected. They had done that through everything. The Ariana Grande concert, the bombing of Syria, in invasion of Georgia, even before she could remember she'd heard they'd put on a benefit for their members to play after the attacks of September 11th. They always put on benefits to help those who needed it, not caring where they were in the world, or what the politics of the situation were -

She forgot to breathe, realization hitting her like a force.

No, she didn't have power. She couldn't defeat her enemies by sheer force or power alone, but she did have a skill - one that she could use to help others.

Sniffing back snot, and wiping her tears on her sweatshirt's sleeve, Ashley pulled out her phone. No signal all the way out where she was. Likely very little signal back at Genkai's either, but she had to get ahold of Laurie, her contact at the Dean's College. He always knew what was going on. He could help.

Quickly, she rose and headed back the way she came, up the path, and subsequently, back uphill, up the mountain she had made her way down to reach the beach.

It took over half an hour, probably closer to 45 minutes if she had to guess - had she really been so out of it she hadn't noticed where she had walked? - but soon she was huffing and climbing the last of the steps to reach the top of the temple. Though, as she neared the top of the temple's steps, she realized she wasn't alone. Four people stood at the top, and it was obvious that they were not from around there. Two of the four had seen her before she had seen them, she knew. Halting in her tracks, and focusing, she reached out her energy, to try to get a feel for who these people were -

 _Demons._ They were demons, she knew immediately. Panic gripped her, narrowing her vision down to the four. Ashley tried to focus on her breathing, and reminded herself that she wasn't in her apartment's courtyard; no one was about to take her. If they wanted to, they would have done so already.

Still, she called to her power, and it rose, hovering just beneath her skin and ready to use in case she needed to. Though just from the way they held themselves she could tell it wouldn't be much of a defense. These were powerful beings.

The man closest to her turned her way, then, green eyes sharp. "Human psychic," he greeted her with a nod of his head. "Is the master of this temple here?"

Even as the panic and adrenaline faded away, warmth fluttered in her chest at his greeting. For once, she wasn't considered a powerless girl. He hadn't even called her a girl. _Human psychic_. The title made her proud.

But who were these demons to appear so quickly after the barrier fell? Unease nipped at her.

"Perhaps. Who's looking for them?"

A woman stepped out from behind the man. Side by side, it was obvious they were siblings. Same piercing green eyes, though hers were calculating while his were sharp, same nose, same blonde hair, though hers was fell to her butt and was shaved on the side and braided, while his was shoulder length and braided back to pull it away from his face. They were both tall, much taller than she was, and while the woman wore plain fighting clothes, the man wore decorative fighting clothes. The woman looked like a Viking goddess, powerful, intimidating, and confident. Envy panged Ashley, while at the same time every instinct screamed at her to run, but she held her ground.

"Ah, Koichi, this one thinks she can defend herself against us. Can you feel her energy? She's trying _so hard_ to mask it from us." The woman spoke, a haughtiness in her speech that annoyed Ashley to no end, but at the same time her words confused Ashley. Masking her energy was one of the first things that Genkai had taught her, and she had been practicing. Was she really so terrible at it?

No. Genkai said she was getting better at it, learning it much faster than she should have. Genkai had even said while Hiei was at the House last weekend that any normal human wouldn't be able to tell Ashley even had spiritual energy. Maybe these two demons could sense her energy because they were more powerful than a normal human? Because they were already attuned to that sort of thing, or maybe because they were trained to recognize energy levels?

She would have to ask Genkai later. For now, Ashley just wanted to wipe the smirk off of the woman's face. The woman was still speaking, continuing from where she left off, and shaking her head as she said, "Don't even try, psychic. There is a reason why he is next in line for the throne and you are not. Now," she heaved a sigh, hands on her hips, "where is the master?" The men behind them watched Ashley warily, though little more than if she was a pest.

The one named Koichi put a hand on his sister's shoulder, sharing a look with her before turning to Ashley. "Forgive my sister. It has been a long day. My name is Koichi, Prince to the Terasu Forest, and this is my sister, Hana, and our men. We are here to discuss battle plans now that the barrier has fallen and our kind slaughtered at the hands of the humans. If you could point us in the direction of the master, or even better, the Jaganashi, we would appreciate it-"

Jaganashi? "You mean Hiei?"

"Oh," the one named Hana exclaimed, picking apart Ashley's tone and expression before she even thought to school it. "You love him! That's funny; a weak little human loving one of the most powerful demons." Her expression said she was completely serious; that she was incredulous at this discovery. "Does _he_ love _you_?"

Ashley's jaw set in frustration and her fists clenched. Hana's shocked expression morphed into a smirk.

Koichi turned on her in an instant, hissing something in a language Ashley didn't understand. For a moment, Hana remained, but her smirk faded as she regarded her brother icily. She turned, slowly, toward Ashley and glanced her up and down. "Apologies," she hissed before stalking off and disappearing into the trees.

"I'm sorry for my sister," Koichi said, clasping his hands in front of his body. He looked apologetic, but when he opened his mouth next, any favor she had toward him evaporated. "But about the master…? We do need to speak to her."

So they did know Genkai after all. Fine.

"Follow me," Ashley replied instead, leading them across the grassy lawn and telling them to wait there while she went inside to find Genkai.

She was easy enough to find. She and Yukina were both in the kitchen, Genkai's gnarled fingers wrapped around a cup of tea while Yukina prepared food. The television was on in the corner. News images flashed on the screen depicting the carnage half a world away, while the text at the bottom of the screen asked, " _Will the Human-Demon Treaty collapse?_ "

"Girl," Genkai's voice barely captured Ashley's attention. She said something to Ashley before it registered that she had said anything.

"Girl!" She snapped again, though not out of anger. Finally, Genkai ripped Ashley's attention away from the news. One brow was raised in question. "What is it?"

"Visitors," Ashley said, as if in a trance. She tried to take another peek at the screen, but the text had already disappeared. Was the treaty really about to collapse? "He - He said his name is Koichi, Prince of the Terasu Forest-?"

Genkai was on her feet and out the door before Ashley could finish.

* * *

Everything was hot. Hot and on fire. Or collapsing, or bleeding, or wailing.

Fire raged around them as Hiei fought to extinguish it. Yusuke worked just a few feet away, digging out a demon who'd had a beam fall on her leg. Bjorn spoke to the authorities with the government-issued translator. The authorities had taken their sweet time in getting to them, because of course the Guardians wouldn't just destroy the refugee center. No, they had to destroy the road leading to it as well. Mass chaos had ensued.

But the authorities had finally made it to where the building had once stood. Yusuke and Bjorn had gotten almost everyone out who was still alive, but there was only about two dozen of them at most, if that. Out of four hundred, only about twenty remained alive. Six psychics and the rest were demons. All were injured, of course, but alive. Hiei had focused on the fires and going through the memories of everyone rescued to see if there were any clues leading back to what happened.

No, the Guardians had been thorough, and hadn't left anything to chance. It had been swift, the attack, and anyone who might have seen anything had been reduced to ashes or crushed beneath the cement.

And just since dawn they had heard and felt the rumbling from the barrier breaking away. Terrified all of them, but as soon as Hiei looked to the sky, he knew what was happening. So did Yusuke. Even when they had battled Sensui he hadn't been powerful enough to cause the entire barrier to break way. And Kuwabara had just ripped a hole in it.

No, this, whatever it was, it was beyond any of them. Hiei and Bjorn had looked to Yusuke, to see what he would do, but Yusuke, glaring at the sky, had grit his teeth and turned away - " _They need us here_ ," he'd said, as if trying to convince himself as much as them.

Two hours later and most of the barrier had disintegrated. Only pieces remained, and beyond it, Hiei could begin to see Demon World, like a second moon in the earth's sky. No one had come to repair the barrier as it flickered out of existence, which either meant that they couldn't, or there was no one left to do it. But the apocalypse hadn't rained down on Human World, yet, so likely no one _could_.

Botan had been bringing reports of rebellions springing up with Spirits and Ogres leading them, against the Spirit World government, but Koenma hadn't asked for help. In fact, he'd allowed very little information to leave Spirit World. They only knew what Botan had let slip, but what he gathered was that Koenma and the Lords of the other regions didn't want outside help, and honestly, that was fine with him. Things were falling apart enough between Demon World and Human World; he didn't need to worry about Spirit World, too.

"Hiei," Bjorn called from a few feet away. The flames were little more than ashes. Hiei approached the Norwegian man, who didn't look Hiei directly in the eyes. The translator woman hovered off to the side, in case Bjorn or any of them needed her services again. She'd only come with the authorities, of course. Dispatched because the Chilean government knew who would be responding to the attack. "They've dismissed us."

It took Hiei a moment to comprehend what Bjorn had just told him. _"Dismissed_?"

Bjorn looked frustrated and annoyed, and heaved a sigh, but he wasn't offended. Not like Yusuke might have been. Not like Hiei was.

"What, so we just risked our lives helping them and they've _dismissed_ us?"

Bjorn stilled. He had spent enough time around Genkai's temple and helping out the demons there to know that this was a sensitive topic, and where Hiei was coming from, but he would never _understand_.

"Hiei," he began, his voice calm as ever. "You know it's not like that."

"I know _exactly_ what it's like. They don't trust us and want us gone."

"Hiei-" Bjorn began but Hiei ignored him and walked away, stepping over the rubble and away from the human authorities talking amongst themselves and others rushing into the fray.

"Open the damn portal, Bjorn," he said instead, calling over his shoulder as he heard Yusuke mutter, "What's eating him?"

"You two can stay here if you want, but I'm headed back." _I_ _'ve had enough of this_ , he didn't say. Humans "needing" help and then as soon as they get it, turn their backs on anyone who was a demon again. It was all bullshit, and he didn't need it.

Bjorn took his time, talking to Yusuke, who, Hiei noted when he turned to look behind him to see what was taking so long, had his hands on his hips and looked ready to rip the authorities a new one. Bjorn just happened to be the messenger.

Something caught his attention behind his two friends, however. A policeman bending over the humans who had been rescued and pushing something onto their wrists. It took Hiei a moment to understand what they were doing, but as soon as he did, he crossed the rubble and took the man's shoulder, forcing the man to face him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, forcefully. "They're obviously injured; they weren't Guardians. I've checked."

The policeman looked nervous, stepping away from Hiei's touch and his hand automatically going to his weapon.

It was only then that the translator ran up to the two, and asked Hiei to repeat what he'd just said.

Annoyance flashed through him, but he ground out, "What is he doing? They're injured; not Guardians!" The woman translated.

"They are all registered psychicsc with the government," The policeman's voice shook even as he tried not to show fear. His parter, behind him, also put her hand on her gun, watching Hiei carefully.

Once the translator relayed this, Hiei rebuked, "But they're not dangerous," glancing down at one of the psychics at his feet. A woman. Dark ebony skin streaked with blood and dirt, the tracks of dried tears had run down her face. "She couldn't even protect herself."

He was shaking his head. "They still come with us. They will receive proper medical attention, but we can take no chances."

The translator was finishing what the man said when another voice caught his attention, this one calling to him in Japanese. "Yo, Hiei!" A hand clapped down on his shoulder, spinning him toward Yusuke, whose expression was guarded and eying the gun in the policeman's holster. "Let them do their jobs."

Hiei reeled. Yusuke, who was normally so hot-headed, ready to take down any injustice… _backing away_?

"Hiei, come on," Yusuke warned, tension in his voice and in every line of his shoulders.

It was only then that Hiei saw what was around them: more policemen had gathered, all with their hands on their weapons, watching the interaction play out warily. Most looked ready to strike at the smallest provocation.

Understanding dawned. Even if it wasn't right, he would not make it out of that situation alive if he didn't retreat now.

The woman seemed to know it, too. "I will be okay," she said, and the translator translated for him. The words he recognized as English, even if he only grasped half of their meaning. She looked terrified, eyes wide, and shaking, but her voice was strong. "Thank you."

The female psychic would have to go with the policemen, and it tore him to shreds.

He turned, shrugging Yusuke's hand off his shoulder, and retreated back to Bjorn, who had opened a portal back to Genkai's. They stepped through it, Hiei only glancing back once he was through.

But he didn't get to see the woman handcuffed again. They had already moved her, and Bjorn's portal closed soon after they stepped through.

The scene in front of them, though, was the last thing that he would have expected.

The demons at the edge of the forest were gathered in clumps, whispering amongst themselves and watching the group that was crowded around Genkai. Ashley and Yukina stood at the edge of the porch, right where the steps met the grass, and he caught Ashley's eye from across the stretch. She immediately left Yukina's side after a quick word to her and began walking around the group in the middle, closing the distance between them.

The group, he never thought he'd see in Human World. Never in a million years. They were strong demons, A-Class, and they couldn't get past the barrier.

It took Hiei to remember that the barrier no longer existed. Of _course_ they would have been able to pass through where it once stretched, now that it was no more.

Koichi turned to look at him, turning away from Genkai, his embroidered clothing sticking out like a sore thumb amidst the refugee demons at the tree line, and their own tattered clothing.

"We need to talk," Koichi said as Ashley came to stand beside Hiei. She didn't try taking his hand, for which he was grateful. Not that he didn't want her to, but the prince shouldn't be anywhere _near_ Human World, and if he was here, then that meant his sister was nearby as well, and the Devil never posed an idle threat.

All his senses were on high-alert.

"Fine," Hiei said, standing a little taller and taking in Koichi's group. Three other guards stood around the prince, but Hana was nowhere in sight. "But not here." Genkai looked like she'd eaten nails. The acute feeling that something else had happened while they were across the world settled over him. He'd have to ask what, later.

"Genkai, can we use your study?" Bjorn asked, already thinking ahead. Genkai nodded and turned to allow them to follow her. Hiei took up the rear, and Ashley began to walk next to him.

"Not you," he said, holding her back.

She looked pissed. "I've been left out of enough, thank you." She said, forcefully. "Besides," she trailed off, glancing toward he edge of the forest. "Don't leave me alone with _her_." Hiei followed Ashley's gaze to Hana, who leaned against one of the trees with a smirk playing across her features.

Ashley wasn't timid or frightened, but wary, as one should be of Hana. The princess was a killing machine, but there was no way for Ashley to know that. Still, tension radiated between Hana and Ashley, the former who watched her with an animal-like curiosity.

"Fine," Hiei relented, and turned to Hana, calling out, "Are you joining us, too?"

She smiled, a stiff thing, more forced than anything. Hana motioned to him, in a grand gesture he'd only ever seen kings in movies do. Her voice was mocking, almost, an condescending in a way he couldn't place. "Lead the way, _Hiei Jaganashi_."

* * *

The others made it back within the next thirty minutes, which worked out okay. It allowed Yukina to make tea for those who wanted it and Genkai filled everyone in on what she knew concerning the barrier. The only team that didn't make it back in time were Chu, Touya, and Kuwabara. The rest returned in time. They would just have to fill those in later.

Ashley hung back at the edge of the wall with Yukina, allowing those who had to actually deal with the consequences of what was going on in the two worlds the seats in Genkai's study. Once or twice, Hiei caught Ashley's gaze, but never for long.

Koichi was never a man of many words, and his sister even less so. A trait, Hiei believed, they got from their mother, rather than their father.

It was simple enough, really. The Legion had been slaughtering their smaller attacks in Demon World. Mukuro and Yomi's forces had finally joined with the Hitomi's forces, but still, a large counter attack hadn't yet been organized or launched, and so the Legion still dominated Demon World, and every day their influence spread.

"At this rate, if we don't do something soon and take back the land they have taken," Two weeks prior when Hiei had visited Mukuro in Alaric, it was thought that the Legion was focused on the rest of Demon World, with skirmishes breaking out across Tourin and Gandara. In that time, Hana had sent out a team of scouts and discovered that the Leigon had conquired so much more. They had claimed most of Gandara, all of Tourin except the Terasu forest, and a good chunk of Alaric, too. And who even knew how much they had taken in the unregulated territories of Demon World. The singular "skirmishes" had just been to take attention off what they were actually up to, outside of anyone noticing.

Now that they had noticed, the only course of action to get back the claimed land was to launch a massive offensive.

Koichi continued, "They will overrun Demon World. Are you aware of what they're doing to demons they capture if they don't join with the legion?"

A beat of silence passed as Koichi looked around the room. Hana had taken up Kurama's usual place by the doorway, watching the discussion with a gaze like a hawk. "Join or die," she said, seeming to enjoy the faces that blanched at her words.

Koichi continued, barely acknowledging that his sister had spoken. "While you all focus your attentions here, on Human World, Demon World threatens to collapse."

The accusation was loud and obvious.

"What would you have us do?" Kurama purred from his seat. Legs crossed at the knee and arms crossed over his chest; he looked pissed.

"We understand that the weak and powerless humans need protecting," Hana began, her words sarcastic and disdainful, even toward Kurama. Her attention shifted to her left for a moment, toward Yukina and Ashley, who's fists clenched the barest amount, but Hiei still caught the movement as she glared openly at Hana. _What had happened that morning?_ He'd only been gone for a few hours. "But so do your kin. Or do you only have feelings for the humans you love so dearly?"

" _Hana_ ," Koichi said, warning clear in his tone.

She smirked and answered Kurama's question, as if she hadn't just offended every other demon in the room. Though, Hiei recognized it for what it was. There would be time to deal with that later. "We mean to launch the biggest offensive attack Demon World has ever seen. They are currently camped at the Forest of Fools. With Mukuro's and Yomi's forces-"

"But they live peacefully," Kurama interrupted Hana. He likely had known what he was doing, but since he was the only one in the room that could interrupt her and still be in her good graces, she only barely raised a brow. "What happened to them if the Legion is there?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Hiei saw Yukina lean over to Ashley and whisper in her ear. Likely filling Ashley in on the Forest of Fools. Named as such because only fools lived there. The demons who wanted to live peacefully and avoid conflict. The irony that the Legion had chosen that location as their base was not lost on Hiei.

Well, irony or strategy.

"They are hosting the Legion. Some have joined," Hana answered, only the slightest irritation in her tone.

If they had joined, then they had the full intention of fighting with the Legion, Hiei knew. Then their role was no longer peaceful. Of course, the forest consisted of twenty thousand on its own, but even the ones who hadn't joined, were they being forced to host the enemy, or did they just support the enemy?

If their intel was correct, then the Legion was just under thirty thousand strong, including the forest's inhabitants, assuming that they had all joined. And Hiei knew that there were likely supporters who didn't announce that they were supporters of the Legion, too. How many quiet supporters did the Legion have?

Hana waited a few seconds to see if there were any other questions before starting again. "With Mukuro's and Yomi's forces, as well as our own, we mean to strike them with everything we have. We've scouted the area. Most of their forces are at the forest, though others have set up stations in the different cities across the unregulated territories. If we can attack the forest and at the same time send smaller attacks at the cities they've left with the barest defenses, we believe we can take back the unregulated territories, at least."

"What do you need from us?" Kurama asked. "As you well know, the barrier has just been destroyed. We will have our hands full just keeping Human World safe from the demons who are likely already flooding this world."

"We have a solution," Hana said, a knowing smile lighting her face. She looked to her twin, who leaned forward, forearms braced against his knees.

"Our numbers are just over sixty thousand strong, S-class all the way down to the lowest D-class, just the same as the Legion, but they all want to fight. Not all are honorable the way we are," he said as he looked around the room at the others, "but they want to take back control of their lives. They all want to take back their honor and dignity that the Legion stole." He paused, as if thinking over something, before continuing. "We will dispatch a few of our own to guard this world. To find the demons coming over and either send them back or destroy them."

Yusuke finally spoke. He also sat forward in his seat, forearms braced on his knees. "The barrier has been destroyed, in case you missed it. How do you expect them to stay in Demon World after you've sent them back?"

"Join our forces or die," Koichi said. If Hana had been the one to say it, she would have stated it as a fact, cocky and overconfident. As it was, Koichi had been the one to say the words, and his tone held a deep regret.

"But that's the same that the Legion is telling demons," Yusuke pointed out.

"Which is why I don't like it," Koichi replied. "But if you have a better idea I'm all ears." He leaned back in his seat and braced his arms against the armrests. "We don't have the capability to take prisoners right now; all of our attention is going toward this offense. We have the numbers, but they have more higher-ranked and higher-skilled demons. If we were to take prisoners, that would take up the holding cells when we need those for when we capture Legion troops. At this point, if they want to venture into Human World when they know that that is not by our laws as set up by Enki and upheld by Koji, then their choice should be to join us and save the two worlds they live in, or perish. Because they will perish anyway if we lose and the Legion has their way."

"Do you know any more about their end goals?" Genkai asked from her desk. Koichi shifted in his seat so he could turn to look at her directly.

"We know that their goal for Demon World is to conquer the land, just as the Great Mother once did, and their goal for Human world is to defend the demons here, but after that, we only know what you know."

"The Great Mother?" Genkai asked, drawing out the words in confusion.

"Every child knows the story," Hana snapped, her tone short. Again, she would have to explain to the humans. "The Great Mother who united the tribes and clans against Spirit World ten thousand years ago, before Spirit World was the Spirit World we know now."

To unite the tribes, cities, and territories would be one thing, Hiei mused, but this wasn't that. This was the Legion going around forcing people to either die or join them, even if it was a united Demon World. Doing it by fear and coercion wasn't the way to do it.

There was nothing _uniting_ about the way they were doing it. And why were they still fighting a front in Human World? Why continue to defend the demons who had sought refuge in Human World unless they were hoping that those demons would join the Legion's ranks once they got fed up with the way the humans were treating them? It just seemed like there was a larger piece missing.

"But back to the point of why we're here," Koichi began, but Hiei cut him off.

"Wait." All eyes fell to him. " _Great Mother_. Dion said that once. She called someone the 'Great Mother'."

"Great, do you know who?" Hana asked.

At that, however, Hiei was stumped. It had been in the alley, back in Tokyo. Ashley had been behind him. So many months ago, though, he couldn't remember the exact phrase Dion had used. Slowly, he shook his head.

"Well, if she's calling someone 'Great Mother', I would think it would be Navia," Kurama mused from his chair. All eyes turned to him. " _Navia_ is the name that Mukuro gave you as their leader, correct?" He asked Hiei. Hiei nodded.

"So it cements what we already know," Koichi put the pieces together. "That's good. We can use that. Especially if she's the one calling herself that. Then we know she thinks highly of herself. And that can be her downfall." He grinned at Kurama. "This is good."

Kurama only smiled a small thing. It didn't reach his eyes, but he nodded appreciatively anyway.

Koichi continued from where he left off before Hiei interrupted. "We will dispatch our own to guard the barrier and keep the humans safe from the worst that will try to come over. If," and he enunciated the _if,_ and met the eyes of each of them. Of Hiei, Kurama, and finally Yusuke. "If you and your team here agree to fight alongside us when we launch the offensive. We believe we will have a much greater chance of winning if each of you are fighting alongside us. Of course, we would need your word." A promise, not to be broken, usually sealed in blood. Demon promises were always the strictest vows. To break a vow such as a demon promise would bring dishonor.

A beat of silence passed, then Kurama asked, "When?"

"The third Saturday of October."

There was a shuffling of paper from Genkai's desk as she tried to uncover a calendar. Demons didn't operate with actual dates like the humans did. "The 17th," she announced to the room.

"That's three weeks from now," Yukina finally spoke, her voice barely above a murmur, and if he didn't know her as well as he did, he would have missed the shake in her voice.

Hiei met Ashley's stormy gaze from across the room. The trepidation in her eyes reflected his own emotions.

Before, he had never had to worry about someone waiting for him. Never had to worry about surviving another day because someone else was never depending on him, or loved him, or worried about him. Now, all those feelings arose, and he restrained himself from crossing the room and pulling Ashley to him in an embrace. But they were still in the middle of a war meeting. Now was not the time.

Battle. Just three short weeks away. But they would get help in the meantime. Koichi was a man of his word.

Every attention slowly turned toward Yusuke, the natural leader of the group, even if he had never chosen it for himself. The others looked to him naturally. If he said they would do it, then they would do it. No questions asked. Ashley even looked toward Yusuke before Hiei did, and Hiei only did once he heard Yusuke suck in a breath.

He had changed positions and was leaning against the back of his seat, arms crossed, teeth clenched; his expression said it all: he didn't want to agree, not because it would be a binding promise, but because his friends would die. Not all of them would come back. They had the numbers, but a battle, especially one of this scale, meant death. But what choice did they have? If they waited and continued playing the game of cat and mouse that they had for the last several years with the Legion, they would never win and eventually be overtaken.

No one in the room breathed.

Finally, Yusuke's gaze hardened in conviction. "You have my word. We will fight alongside you."

 _ **\- End of Chapter Thirty-One -**_

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Thank you for being so patient with this chapter coming out! I had written 90% of it last weekend, but over the week I realized there were a few small details that I originally mentioned in previous chapters that I needed to include in this chapter, so I've been tinkering with things because as you can tell, things are finally starting to come together now.**

 **Thank you thank you thank you for the people who reviewed chapter thirty, and for the people who have been reviewing the other chapters as well. You all are amazing, and I am in shock that you all would leave me so many reviews. Each one of you are amazing and deserve all good things. _JohnGreenGirl, Silverwing013, OdinsReaper, musicnutftw, cwsquared, and destinyswindow_. I'm sending all of you all the love and support. Thank you!**

 **Before I sign off on this chapter, I wanted to go over a few notes that people have been asking about. First, the Ouran bit. I probably should have explained this back when I actually went into detail about it in chapter 29. This is not going to become an Ouran fic at all (though I might still do a spinoff and write about Ashley's time at Ouran as a crossover, but that will be a separate fic). When I originally dropped the name in chapter one, I was dropping it simply because I needed a school in Japan where her rich father might have sent her. And Ouran immediately came to mind. I decided to leave it in the finished copy, but apart from seeing her memories from Timeline A, it will likely never be mentioned ever again.**

 **Second, people have been asking about Nobuyuki and why we got the day re-do in chapter 28, and I know if people have been asking in PM's, there are people who aren't sending me messages who are confused, so I wanted to give you the Full Author Analysis, though I realize a lot of this did not come through in the story. If I had been actually writing this to publish it, an editor might have caught it and I would have changed the story so that it was more obvious. As it is with fanfiction, I am the writer and editor, and this story does not have a beta reader (besides the first two chapters and a scene or two here or there - Thank you Wistfulsin for reading over a scene in this chapter, actually!), so sometimes things that make sense to me actually don't make sense.**

 **So, Nobuyuki and the day re-do. I will copy/paste the explanation I wrote to one of you who asked me, because this WILL come up in later chapters:**

 **In chapter 28, when Hiei and Yusuke go to pick him up, it's described, "A madman's obsession covered the walls." He's been keeping track of her doings through the things she's done with her piano playing, and has been trying to predict what's to come, specifically for her. He's obsessed with her, not only to predict time, but to be close with his best friend again, in a sense. But when she originally confronts him in 27, he doesn't want to meet with her, just like how he doesn't join in with them when they're playing Never have I ever in 30. He recognizes that Ashley is a completely different person than she was when they knew each other, and is likely nervous to spend any time with her because of it. Even though he's followed her progress, really, he knows nothing about her. So in 27 he originally declines talking with her at all, even if it's just about his progress in class.**

 **With his obsession to follow her and specifically to be close to her, however, he turns the clock back in order to get a re-do of the day. I never state it specifically, but Nobuyuki followed her to the student union where they "bump" into each other at lunch. It wasn't an accidental meeting. It was a calculated event, because he doesn't address her as "Miss Ashley" first. He sees her like he had when they were in college in Timeline A, standing in line to get food, and addresses her as he would a friend before realizing that no, she's his teacher. So, when they sit down and she starts talking to him like a teacher would to a student, he loses his shit. If Hiei and Yusuke hadn't have gone to get Nobuyuki that night, he would have turned time back again for a third chance to get to talk to Ashley normally again.**

 **I hope this clears up any questions. Feel free to message me, though, if this isn't clear.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	32. Come Back

Chapter Thirty-Two

 _Come Back_

Hiei passed by the front door, wide open to the night air beyond. Voices drifted from the porch as crickets chirped beyond. The night was somber compared to the night prior. Just twenty four hours ago they had all been laughing and joking and drinking around the fire. Now, Koichi and his guard had left and everyone was off in their own corner of the temple, coming to terms with the fact that they would all be rushing into battle in just three short weeks. Ashley was with Yukina somewhere - she'd been trying to make phone calls all day, but the signal had been too spotty to get anything taken care of, she'd said. Whatever that meant. He'd given her space to do what she needed to, which gave him time to come to terms with what they were about to face.

Across from the open doors, Hiei could see through the windows into Genkai's kitchen. The lights were on, and Yukina sat across the table from Ashley. Both had mugs of something, but neither touched them. Light was absent from their eyes, and though Hiei could not hear them from his distance away, just their body language told him that worry, stress, and tension flowed between them. Yukina likely filling Ashley in on what it was like to watch them go off to fight. Making plans. He would suggest that Ashley stay with Yukina day-of, that way if something were to happen, they would have each other. Especially if -

No. He wouldn't think like that. He would come back. Hiei watched Ashley again, through the open door and through the window across from him. He would come back. For her.

The voices on the other side of the door caught his attention.

"Did I make the right choice, though?" _Yusuke_.

"If Koichi's numbers are correct, we don't have much choice in the matter, do we?" _Kurama_.

Hiei continued walking as they continued talking. His feet leading himself to the kitchen to join Yukina and Ashley, the latter who perked up as soon as he entered. He took his seat next to her and pulled her close so she could lean against his body.

Ashley and Yukina continued talking, though Hiei didn't pay any mind to what they were saying. He was watching Yukina.

It was rare that he allowed himself to think of Yukina as his sister. For all intents and purposes, they were just friends. She had married his teammate and friend, and she was close with Ashley.

Sitting across from her, watching her talk with Ashley, Hiei wondered if it wasn't time to tell her the truth. Shigure had long since died, relinquishing Hiei from the vow he swore that he would never tell his sister the truth of their relationship.

But was he wondering if he should tell her because they were looking at a battle in less than a month, or because he thought she would actually accept him?

At one point, Hiei had been sure that Yukina would never accept him, especially when she was so pure, herself. He didn't want her to know that she had a killer for a brother. He didn't want the image she had for him to tarnish. But now, things had changed. He didn't kill as he once had - reserving that for when he truly needed to defend himself or those he cared for. And Ashley had grown close to him anyway, even knowing who he was.

But watching Yukina across from him, Hiei couldn't think of a good way to even broach the subject. No. He'd wait until he was certain, and especially once Death wasn't a possibility in the near future.

He stopped those thoughts immediately, squeezing Ashley closer as a reminder of where he was, but it was the truth. He would wait until after the battle was over. If he decided to, at that point.

* * *

Ashley and Hiei returned to their little flat the following day. Knox had been staying with a neighbor, and was absolutely overjoyed with their return, dancing in circles at their feet. Neither had expected to be gone for as long as they were. It was supposed to be a quick trip down to Genkai's temple, stay the one night, and back on Saturday. However with the barrier breaking and the attacks on the refugee centers, it had stretched over the entire weekend.

The news was non-stop coverage on the relief efforts, still. For the most part no one else had noticed the barrier breaking down, and those who had were laughed at publicly. It was all of the psychics who could see, or anyone else with the second sight. In regard to the barrier, it was like nothing had happened at all. Though Demon World looming in the sky above them was hard to ignore while the rest of the world was oblivious. They were all ignorant of what was about to take place; going about their business like nothing was wrong.

Ashley, it seemed, was trying very hard not to think of it.

Ashley took her shower first, needing some time to think, which Hiei didn't blame her for at all. She left the bathroom, still drying the ends of her hair, and passing Hiei as he made his way to the bathroom. She'd been abnormally quiet, lost in her head almost. He still hadn't had a chance to ask her about her comments about Hana, or the way they reacted to each other in the war meeting, but he was certain her quietness had something to do with the Devil.

By the time his shower was over and he joined Ashley at the _kotatsu_ , Ashley was on the phone, an notepad beneath her hands. Hiei took a seat across the table from her, against the wall, where he leaned back. There were few days they had simply gotten to enjoy one another's presence in the last few months, so he took full advantage of it. As she spoke on the phone in her native tongue - which Hiei could now recognize and say a few words, but for the most part couldn't understand a thing - he watched her as she worked. His sword leaned against the wall near the door. He _could_ get up to get it and sharpen it, but for the first time in a long time, he just wanted to watch her.

Her hair was still wet, and hung in strands around her face where it wasn't pulled into a messy bun at the nape of her neck. Her skin was still splotchy from the heat of the water, and she wore loose fitting shorts and a long-sleeve t-shirt. She was unapologetically human, sitting there with her pen cap between her teeth as she listened to whatever the person was saying on the other end of the phone. She tapped the ballpoint end on the notepad, her handwriting scrawled across the page.

If she felt his eyes on her, she didn't look up. Her eyes were glazed over, in her concentration, so he was free to look upon the incredible woman in front of him without her starting to feel self-conscious, or asking him to stop.

After what felt like only a few minutes, she leaned back, taking the pen cap out of her mouth, and said in English, which Hiei could understand, "Thank you… We'll talk soon!"

She hung up, and with only a sparse glance toward Hiei, dialed another number. This time, she spoke in Japanese.

"Mako! It's Ashley… Yes, your teacher….I got your number from the records; I hope you don't mind." Hiei could just barely hear Mako answering on the other line. What on earth was she doing calling _him_?

She answered his question, still speaking to Mako. "Do you remember that day we played together on the piano? You told me you wanted to study music long-term but that your scholarship was going to come to an end here. Is that still something you want to do? Study music long-term?"

Mako stuttered and sputtered on the other line, trying to catch his brain up to what Ashley was telling him.

"I think I have a way you can do that," she announced before he could answer. She didn't pause before continuing, "Back in England, I was part of a music program called the Dean's College. It's not necessarily a college. Not anymore, at least, but it is a prestigious music program. You can join as kind of like a high-end club. They'll put on concerts and performances for their members to showcase their talents, which often help them get hired. But for the younger kids, if they join they can receive a scholarship from the College to attend school to study music.

"Anyway, the College always likes to put on benefits for charities or when tragedies take place." Ashley paused briefly, glancing up at Hiei from under her lashes. "They're going to be putting on a benefit since the tragedy the Guardians caused, with killing all those demons yesterday. I got ahold of my contact at the college, Laurie, and told him of your situation. He wants you to come audition for them."

She paused for Mako to answer. From what Hiei could hear, Mako didn't answer for nearly a minute. When he was done speaking, she answered whatever question he had just asked. "Yes, it's in England. They're headquartered in London, and the benefit is in just a couple of weeks." Another glance up at Hiei. "Friday, October 9."

Hiei's mental math was quick. That was a week prior to the scheduled battle against the Legion.

"I'll come with you. I've asked to also participate in the benefit - I want to help. However I can, you know? Even if it's small. Even if this is all I can do." Another pause. "Well, thanks- … I haven't really thought that far in advance, honestly…. Mako, you know as well as I do I can't write my own music. … I mean, I like the idea, but are you sure?… Alright, then. Let's do it!… Yeah, I can meet you tomorrow between classes. Yeah, just text me." Ashley finished the call with a quick 'bye', and hung up the phone, setting it down on the table, finally, with a quiet, "I'm exhausted."

"What was that?"

A deep sigh from Ashley. "That was me figuring out a way Mako can still play music even after his scholarship ends." But she paused and looked at him. "But that's not what you were wondering, is it?" His eyebrows raised in silent question.

"I need to help, Hiei. I know you said I should focus on learning my new power and to help later, but…" She paused, searching for the right words. "I can't just not do anything, you know? I can help in this way, so I should."

"It's a week before the battle, Ashley!" He tried to keep his voice steady, but still, it rose. He tried again. "It's a week before."

"I know! But Mako and I can go to England and be back by that Sunday. Still five whole days before you leave."

Conviction shone through her eyes, through her voice. There was no point in arguing with her, when in reality, there was something he wanted to discuss with her.

"I want you to stay with Yukina day-of."

She blanched. "Nothing's going to happen, Hiei." She said quietly, like she was afraid she might break. Her voice shook.

"You don't know that," he leaned forward. He _would_ make it back to her, but still. He wanted her to be with Yukina, just in case.

"You've been through countless battles. This won't be any different."

"But it might be." He glanced down to the table, suddenly unable to look at her as he said, "If something happens I want you to be with someone who understands-"

He trailed off, but she didn't try to deny him. She didn't tell him it would be alright again. He glanced up. Wetness shone in her eyes, and she swallowed, looking away. "I hate that we're even discussing this."

After a minute, her head spun back to him. "Why?" She was angry. "Why is this so important to you? Why do you have to fight?"

"This goes beyond-"

"I've never even see you fight, you know. Everyone says you're this crazy-powerful demon, but Hiei, I've never seen it. How am I supposed to put my faith in something I've never seen? It's hard, Hiei. It's so hard. I don't want you to go, but I don't want to tell you to stay because I know that's not who you are." Hiei stayed quiet until he was sure she was finished.

"I need to protect my world. And yours." _And you_ , he didn't say. By now, he figured that should be obvious. "I won't go down easy."

Ashley muttered something, too low to catch, even for his ears. It sounded like, "Come back to me," but he couldn't be sure.

Still, he insisted, "I'll come back. I promise."

Ashley swallowed, tilting her head back and wiping at her tears. "You know, that blonde woman said something to me yesterday. I don't like her, but I'll admit she had a point." She sucked in a deep breath and adjusted herself. "Hiei, what am I to you?"

Should he have said he was going to battle to protect her? The question threw him completely, but she was serious, staring at him, watching his response. Her jaw clenched, but it wasn't in frustration or anger, he realized, but in apprehension.

She was… Ashley was apprehensive about his reply?

After all they had been through, she questioned him now?

But at the same time, her words rang in his head. What was she to him? He didn't want her to disappear, or perish. He couldn't imagine a world without her. Couldn't imagine his world. And she was powerful, even more than she likely knew, and she cared about her friends. She was incredible, and kind, and smart, and selfless, and talented. But what was she to him?

"You're… important to me."

Whatever she found in his words looked like they comforted her in some way. She nodded, and when she caught his gaze, she quickly looked away again, a blush rising to her cheeks.

"What did the Devil say to you?"

That threw her. "Devil?"

"Hana. Koichi's sister. The Devil of the Terasu Forest."

"Oh." But Ashley didn't elaborate. Instead, she suddenly found the hem of her sleeve to be more interesting.

After what felt like eons of deliberation, Hiei finally asked, "What on earth is wrong? You look like you have something you want to say."

That seemed to sober her. "Hiei," she began slowly, shifting in her seat. She half-reached for him, but must have thought better of it. She retracted her hand just as quickly. "Hiei, I need to tell you - I love you."

"And-and," she quickly continued, stumbling over her words, "You don't have to say it back or anything. I just wanted you to know."

Love. She _loved_ him? He was incredulous. Love was always at the tip of every human's tongue, waiting to be announced to any passerby on the street. He was all too familiar with it. It was inescapable, even as little as he paid attention to media. It was whispered after a single night of sharing another's bed, it was pleaded when one person barely knew another. "You humans throw that world around quite a lot."

"No! It's not - I'm not throwing it around!" She replied sharply. She quietened. "I'm not throwing it around. I mean it. I love you." As she said it again, she met his gaze, her own softening, and a breath escaping through her lips, almost in awe.

Hiei shifted, uncomfortable. Love. A word given from mothers to their offspring. Or between partners. Enki would often say it to Kokou when he didn't think anyone was watching. Keiko had said it once or twice to Yusuke in his presence. Kuwabara and Yukina often shared sentiments. It was something he'd never received. Something, in all his blood-soaked history, he should never receive.

"What do you mean, love?" Hiei nearly barked.

"Love is… it's…" she struggled to find the words. "It's like when you hear a song and you just know that you love that song, you know? And you can listen to it whenever you want. Or like, if you've got a room full of people and a cat comes up to only you for pets. It's…" She looked up at him, finding some resolution as she did. Carefully, she moved closer to him. "You're my person. You're the one I feel most comfortable around, who knows me. You're the one I turn to when things turn south. The one I always want to talk to. To hold me. To protect me. To be around." When he didn't look convinced, she continued, her face turning red. "I love your quips. And your wit. And the way you glare at people when they piss you off. You don't let anyone change you, and you let people know when they've crossed a line. You're absolutely no-nonsense. I love your strength, and the way you draw out the strength in me. You believe in me in a way I didn't think was possible. You see me as more than I think I do.

"Love is hard," she continued, finally finding her confidence. "But I want you to know you don't have to love me, too. And I'm not telling you because the battle is coming up. I want you to know how I feel."

It felt like every word she said tore through him, leaving him breathless. _I love your strength_ , was the one that nearly did him in. It took everything in him to keep his expression neutral. It was overwhelming, and as his heart raced, he realized just how uncomfortable he was. "I'm not capable of such a thing-"

"But you are! Even with your tough exterior, you're lovable. It's so easy to be around you. Your friends wouldn't have stuck around if they didn't think so, too."

He was completely uncomfortable, especially with her sitting so close to him. What was he supposed to do with that information? She didn't believe it, obviously, but there was no way he was ever going to be able to feel the same as her. It had always been him. And then it had been him and the detective and his friends. But he was always alone. How did she fit into his life? She was important to him, yes, but _love_? Love was such a far-fetched notion, he didn't even consider it. Love had never once entered his vocabulary, or anyone else's in reference to him.

And yet, here she was, his human bulldozer.

Not entirely sure how to respond, he merely replied with a quiet, "Okay."

* * *

Hiei was gone before the light ever breached the horizon.

He'd muttered into her hair as he left her sleeping in the futon, "I'll be back in three days," and stole into the night.

Crisp autumn air bit at his exposed face and hands, but he sprinted at his incredible speed through Tokyo, and then made his way through the forests and mountains to Genkai's. It took nearly an hour, but still, he was the first to arrive.

Lights were still out inside the temple, and the refugee's fires had all but succumbed to smoldering ash. The refugees that had sought out Genkai's temple had, in the last two days, begun to get nervous and jittery. Frightened that they should leave. But where would they go? Further into the reaches of Human World where most of the humans feared them? Where they might be the victim of some hyped-up human out on a tear? Or should they return to Demon World and face the Legion and the choice to join or die?

All options led to death, so they stayed where they were. Anxious and silent.

"Jaganashi," a deep voice broke through the quiet dawn air. Hiei turned, his Jagan alight, and watched as the demons Koichi had promised him spilled out onto the grassy lawn from the tree line.

"You're late."

"War makes everything late." The leader of the group said. He was a large demon, with light blue and white markings across his body. His head was round, eyes slanted, and his nose and mouth protruded away from his face. Some type of shark demon if Hiei had to guess.

"My name is Nori," the demon said, and gestured to the demons behind him. "This is my clan." He spoke carefully, each word pronounced. "Lord Koichi told us to find you."

"Did he tell you why?" Hiei wasn't going to waste effort on anything they already knew.

"He said you needed help securing the divide between Demon World and this world." Hiei nodded.

"The barrier fell two days ago. Until we can figure out why and how to get it back up, it means that any demon can slip into Human World and harm the inhabitants here. No demon no matter their strength level should enter Human World or leave. If they're part of the detective's team here," he nodded to the temple behind him, "They will use Kuwabara or Bjorn to get to Demon World. If something changes I will alert you. No one else. Is that clear?"

"Why should we protect the humans? They killed our own."

"Only some of them," Hiei replied, crossing his arms. "Not all are bad."

Nori didn't say anything, glaring Hiei down. Hiei met his challenge and didn't dare break eye contact.

"Is that clear?" Hiei asked again, his words sharp and precise.

Nori didn't skip a beat. "Perfectly." His tone matched Hiei's.

Slowly, he turned, and nodded to his clan, who disbursed. "Where are you headed?"

Hiei turned, walking away from the man and back to the temple to wake Bjorn. "I need to have a word with Koichi."

Nori kept up pace. "Then I will accompany you."

"I don't need a babysitter," Hiei spat.

"That's not a request. If you're traveling to visit the lord, I will accompany you."

Hiei turned suddenly, causing Nori to nearly collide with him. The taller demon stood barely an inch away from Hiei, attempting to intimidate him with his height. Too bad for Nori, it didn't work. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"I don't trust any scum that doesn't have the balls to ask me something directly and would rather rummage around in my head."

As much as Hiei wanted to rip the man's arms from his body, he turned away, heading back into the temple to find the Norwegian man. "Stay here. If I'm not back in three minutes you can come find me."

Hiei was back on the grassy slope with seconds to spare, Bjorn in tow. The younger boy looked disheveled from sleep, and was in his boxers. _Sex-hair_ was the term that Ashley had once used to describe Hiei's hair, and at that moment, it looked like Bjorn had attained such hair, but from whom was beyond what Hiei wanted to ponder about at that moment. "Open a portal," he growled instead. "I need to go to the Terasu Forest."

"Good morning to you, too, Hiei." Bjorn yawned. Opening a portal now that the barrier was gone was an easy feat, and took mere seconds. Another two seconds and Hiei and Nori stepped through the opening.

"Much faster than going the direct route," Hiei muttered as Nori tried to re-orient himself. Hiei, however, didn't wait for the shark demon to catch up, and started walking. It seemed as though Bjorn had deposited them just feet from the center of the village. Closer than he ever had been able to before.

"Hiei?"

Koichi's voice - by now it was recognizable - caught Hiei's attention, whipping his head to the approaching Lord. While in Japan the sun was about to come up, where Hiei now stood, the sun was just disappearing beyond the trees that surrounded them. The village was winding down for the evening. "I need to see Amma," He replied shortly.

"Need assurance we'll win?" Koichi joked, eyes alight even as every string of tension that wound through Koichi's body said he was fucking exhausted. He glanced up at Nori behind Hiei. "I'll take it from here. Thank you, Commander."

Hiei didn't bother to turn to see what the shark demon thought of that dismissal, but he could figure out a way back to his post on his own. Hiei began walking through town with Koichi following at his side. Through town to the other side. Where Amma was.

As soon as he was certain Nori wasn't following them, he explained the issue of time and Nobuyuki to Koichi. Leaving out the specific details of Ashley's life before. "I'm hoping she might be able to unlock my memories so that I can find something there that can help us."

The young lord looked amicable to the idea. "It's worth a shot, but you know the old Connection won't help you unless she's sure of you, right?"

Hiei huffed out a breath. "I figured as much."

They were at the tree line by then, and ceased speaking as they made their way together toward the luminescent pools. It was obvious they had arrived when all sound ceased.

"You're ready for answers, then, Hiei Jaganashi?"

Her voice appeared from nowhere, just as it had the first time he'd met the woman, barely a month ago. She stood across from them, near one of the ponds. She hadn't changed in the short time he had been gone, as if it had been minutes instead of weeks. Hands clasped behind her back, she took in the two boys with her grayed eyes.

"I figured out the Event you told me about," Hiei replied, circling the ponds to try to get closer to the woman, but she began walking in the opposite direction. The green light from the pools danced across her face and up the trunks of the trees. "Nobuyuki sent time back. He saved Ashley's life. He created this time line.

Amma nodded. "Very good. But you still have not found the second girl. I told you to find her."

 _Isla_. "The second girl is dead."

Amma, however, chuckled and shook her head. "I told you before: there are many ways to die. You have not tried hard enough."

Hiei seethed and looked back at Koichi, who was watching the exchange a few paces away from the pools, arms crossed over his chest. Even though he was wearing the traditional clothing that a lord of the tribe wore, his hair was disheveled, much like Bjorn's had been. Even though he looked exhausted, more than anything he looked _young_. Barely a man, yet having to do so much.

Seeing Koichi reminded Hiei that he had not come to merely talk with the old woman.

He clenched his fists, forcing his anger back. "I need to get my memories back. From Before."

She merely cocked her head. "And what if getting your memories doesn't help, but harms?" She didn't even ask why; she likely already knew.

"I'll take the consequences." He replied. Amma started walking again, but this time, Hiei didn't follow her. He stayed rooted where he was and followed her with his eyes.

"You say that like you know what they'll be." Her voice had dropped. A threat. "And what if they're too steep for you?"

"I'll handle it."

She didn't ask again, but watched him as she approached.

Two questions burned in his mind. "How did I find her again?"

"Those who are meant to be in our lives will always find their way back to us. No matter the distance between us. They are forever in our orbit, even if they are only supposed to stay with us for a short time. They will still find us."

Always the riddles with this woman. "You have another question." She had closed the distance between them, gazing up at him like a child waiting for an answer.

He bit back the words, but he had to know. "How is she alive? She died. I was there." The borrowed memory from Nobuyuki came to mind. He remembered seeing himself covered in her blood. In Ashley growing cold. The light fading from her eyes.

"She _almost_ died," Amma said. Hiei was expecting to hear anything but that. "She _almost_ passed through the Veil to Spirit World. But she did not, ultimately, and that is where you will find her true potential.

"Now, do you want your memories back or not? Even if getting them has unintended consequences. Even if what you find is not what you want?"

Hiei clenched his jaw and steeled himself. A curt nod to the woman, and she turned to look at Koichi. "Please bear witness to the Memory Lifting." Turning back to Hiei, she said somberly, "Remove your clothing and step into the pool."

The idea of getting into a glowing green pool was not appealing at all, especially since water was involved, and he'd never been one to like water very much, but the idea of not following her directions and not getting the memories back and possibly a clue that could lead him to defeating the Legion wasn't something he could entertain. He had to do this.

Hiei did as he was told, removing every garment down to his underwear and followed Amma into the pool. The plants that produced the green light were slick beneath his feet, and he nearly fell once, but regained his balance, moving into the water until he was in front of Amma. She stood in the center, the water up to her chest. The water came up to Hiei's waist. "I need you to float on your back."

Again, Hiei did as he was told, uncomfortable as he was, and Amma placed her hands against him. One hand on his chest, thumb against his sternum, and the other hand she placed against his head, thumb on his Jagan.

She paused, though, watching him. He didn't say a word, but met her gaze. Sadness radiated from her. It made her wrinkled skin seem more weathered than it had before, and her eyes were distant. "I hope you're right."

She pushed him beneath the water.

* * *

" _Tell me about demon marriages."_

 _The question wasn_ _'t out of the blue. They had discussed their future together a few weeks prior, but they had carefully skirted the subject of marriage. Did humans and demons even marry? Demons married demons, and humans married humans. There had probably been a human and demon marriage at some point in time; the worlds had been around much too long for a relationship like theirs to never occur, but it was rare, and never spoken of._

 _They were lying in Ashley_ _'s bed, in her room. Photos littered her walls, thrown up haphazardly, but lying there next to her was as normal and natural as anything he'd experienced. He'd long ago grown used to sharing a bed with her. She was his._

" _It's bonding," Hiei had replied. His right arm was draped over her waist and she was tucked beneath his chin, tracing the lines of his muscles with her finger. "Some call it mating, but it's the same."_

" _Do you perform a ceremony or something?"_

" _Something like that…"_

 _She leaned back, looking him dead in the eye. Her hair was shorter and her cheeks were fuller._ _"Well I'm asking, so…?"_

 _He fought a smile._ _"It's a transfer of power. So, both share a piece of the other's power. You power up together, and it's like a mark that the other wears. When you power up to your full power, every demon knows who you belong to."_

" _So you're marking your territory, then?" Hiei ground to a halt, not expecting that, either. "I'm only joking!" she laughed, and he couldn't help a chuckle, either. "Do you think we will?"_

 _The question of whether a human and demon ever bonding came to mind again. Surely it had been done before._ _"Do you want to?" He asked instead._

 _Ashley leaned back so she could meet his gaze again._ _"What are you suggesting?" She shifted, so that she was sitting up. He followed her lead and sat up with her. "I love you," she said, reaffirming what he already knew, and lighting him with warmth from within. "You know this. And if that's our next step, then yes. I want to. Don't you?"_

 _She was his, and he was hers. She_ _'d told him how she felt months prior, and he had reciprocated. She was his world. He would not let her go. Not for anything._

" _Yes."_

Hiei had been battling with resurfaced memories for three days now. Trying to decipher what he could actually remember doing, and what seemed foreign, but absolutely real. The ones that he couldn't remember how he came to be in the memory all seemed to have the same fuzzy edge to them. Just like how Sophia's mind had looked to the Jagan. There, but also not.

He had made it back to Ashley's flat what felt like hours ago. He'd slipped inside and leaned against the wall to watch her sleep. Knox had looked up briefly, upon hearing him come in, but had otherwise ignored him and drifted back to sleep.

The memory had been so clear in his mind, but the edges were fuzzy. It was from the first time line.

"Mm," Ashley murmured, half asleep from across the room. "You're back." She'd spotted him, so there was no point in trying to stay away any longer. He stood and crossed the room to settle into the bed with her. "What were you doing all the way over there?"

He didn't know how to answer that. What _had_ he been doing? Remembering something that had never happened in this time? But her body had felt so real in the memory. Had they really bonded? Some demons preferred to call it mating, but he'd never liked the term. Animals mated, and he wasn't an animal.

Hiei took Ashley in next to him, now, just the same as they were in the memory. His arm draped protectively over her waist, and she snuggled into his chest. His head was propped up against his left hand. Their toes touched beneath the blanket.

"You know, I had a thought while you were gone," Ashley continued, probably figuring he wasn't going to answer. "What are you doing for Christmas?"

"Christmas?" The word was unfamiliar on his tongue.

She nodded. "December 25. The day that presents are given. The day that Jesus was born. Do you have plans?" Still, he didn't know how to answer, but she continued anyway, likely half-dazed with sleep. "I always try to spend it with my family. I missed last year because I was finishing up my semester and interviewing for the teaching job, but I'm planning on going back to London over Winter Break, and I was wondering if you would like to come with me? Meet the family?"

"What about the benefit?" Hiei finally broke his silence. "Am I not invited to come? Is Mako only allowed to meet everyone?"

That woke Ashley up, if only briefly. "You're invited! I just thought you wouldn't want to go with the preparations and stuff you probably have to do, right?"

He nuzzled into her hair, breathing in her scent. He'd been joking, but she was too close to sleep to pick up on it. "I'll need to do some things," he replied evenly, "But I can come by. I'm not going to let you go halfway around the world and manage to get yourself killed. I've worked too hard to keep you alive."

"Not… that hard!" Ashley replied, indignant, though her words were coming more slowly. She was fighting sleep. "I've done alright for twenty-four years, thank you!" They quietened. "So… Christmas?"

Hiei fought a smile. She was insistent.

"You know, we probably shouldn't make plans this close to the battle," he replied, tugging her closer to him. The memory of holding her close from before surfaced again.

"But that's the only way to look forward to the future!" She replied. "Promise me?"

The smile won. She snuggled closer, likely sensing she'd won even before he said, "I promise."

* * *

 **A/N:** **A big thank you to WistfulSin who helped me come up with the cat and song analogies for love!**

 **I** **'ve never been in reciprocated love, myself, at least if I was, I didn't know it. He was the closest I've ever come to love, but ultimately it wasn't a healthy love and I've accepted that. I have wanted to mention him for awhile. EAB was one of my best friends through college, and we dated on and off for six years. We'd go through periods of not speaking to each other, but still, he and I always seemed to find each other again, no matter how far away we strayed, or what happened between us. I still think on him often, and wonder how he's doing. Sometimes I wonder if he reads this fic since I gave him this fanfiction profile back in college for him to read my old fics. But it was a theory we'd talk about every so often - we would always find each other, and without the other, life always felt like it was missing a piece, at least to me. We wondered, once, if our atoms had been forged in the same star and that was how we always found each other again. I've written about him through my characters again and again and again, but I think this story comes the closest to what our relationship was.**

 **There were a few things I was never allowed to bring up as an unspoken rule, because when I did, I knew he would run, much like how Ashley had had those subjects with Hiei. Sometimes he would ghost without a word, and sometimes I would. I didn** **'t handle that relationship responsibly, and he didn't either, but we were kids, and we knew each other so well, or at least I felt like we did. Sometimes I still feel like a piece is missing when I think about him. He has made the deepest and longest-lasting impact on me that I've ever experienced (even if it's not entirely positive), and I wish we were still in each others lives, even though I know what we had before was unhealthy. I often wonder if we had met now, now that we're both almost 30, how we would do now that we're not college kids figuring out the world.**

 **But anyway, the relationship between Ashley and Hiei was one hundred percent inspired by EAB, especially that line that Amma says in the chapter, about how those of us who are meant to be in each others lives always have a way of finding us again, no matter the distance. This was why it took me so long to write this chapter. Because it hit really close to home, and because I miss EAB, as embarrassed as I am to admit it, even though it** **'s been four years. I hope he's doing okay. I wish I could apologize for hurting him.**

 **But this chapter is where the similarities end between Ashley and Hiei and myself and EAB, because it** **'s going to go where he and I never got to go. I never got to tell him how I felt.**

 **Thank you to destinyswindow, JohnGreenGirl, musicnutftw, LonelyDreamer7, Kykygrly, and one Guest for your reviews since the last chapter! You all are the greatest!**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	33. Fantaisie Impromptu

Chapter Thirty-Three

 _Fantaisie Impromptu_

Heathrow was a war zone.

Sections had been quartered off, yellow police tape covering hallways that led to other wings. Half of it was still destroyed from the Legion-led attack a month prior. Rubble still littered the tarmac in places, and steel beams still cut the sky.

Guardians in full war-gear acted as security every ten feet - a clear reminder of who was in charge - and at customs, a guard was stationed at every customs officer.

"Next!"

Ashley barely registered that she was next in line; she'd been watching Mako speak to the customs agent for the last five minutes. He was obviously nervous, and the officer and the Guardian watched him intently, like they were expecting him to explode.

"Next!" a shove came at her back, and she was stumbling forward.

"Move!" Came the shout behind her. She didn't hesitate, practically tripping over herself to get away from the female Guardian. She presented her passport to the officer, and glanced at the Guardian next to him. The Guardian wore full gear and black fatigues, complete with a bulletproof vest, and weapons holster. In his hands he held a machine gun of some type. The Guardian symbol decorated his left shoulder, clearly marking him as a member: a cross in front of a triangle. What the symbol meant, she didn't know, but every Guardian that guarded Heathrow had one.

"Passport?" The officer held out his hand, and she passed it to him. He opened it to her information and glanced back up at her. "Ashley Wright. Welcome home." He suddenly smiled at her, kindness chasing away the anxious glare he'd had only moments prior. She struggled to return the smile. "Are you staying or is it just a visit?"

"Just visiting," she said, keeping quiet about the exact reason. "Visiting my family, before heading to Japan again."

"That's a short trip," the officer noted. "Why the rush?"

Ashley glanced at the Guardian. He still glared at her, untrusting. The customs officer didn't bat an eye. "I just missed them. My friend is wanting to study here, so I thought I'd show him around." She pointed to Mako, in front of the custom's officer behind them. The man helping her, Elroy, she read, turned lazily to look behind him.

"Ah, that reminds me: Have you noticed any power developing that you hadn't noticed before?"

Her attention snapped back to him. "What?"

"Any power or strange occurrences," he clarified, watching her. "If so, we need to record it."

Every instinct screamed at her not to say a word, even as she was suddenly aware of her power within her. If they were asking, they likely couldn't sense her power, then, and she hid it, just as Genkai had taught her.

When she hesitated, the Guardian stepped forward and grabbed a device attached to his weapons holster. She flinched, hands up, but he merely pointed it at her as a light swept over her. A moment later it beeped, once. "You're good," Elroy said, stamping her passport. Enjoy your stay." He handed the little book back to her, and it took her a moment to collect her thoughts enough to remember to reach out and take it before walking away. "Next!" Elroy called to the next person in the queue.

Ashley walked a few paces away, but still stood far enough off to the side not to attract unwanted attention, watching Mako in case she needed to help. Another Guardian stood at the exit to the room, watching the dozen customs desks to make sure that nothing happened. She eyed Ashley as Ashley approached, before moving her attention back to the sight at hand.

From where she stood, he looked nervous and agitated. His voice was distressed, having jumped a few notes higher than he usually spoke in.

"-Just need your photo," his custom's officer said, and the Guardian that was stationed at that custom's desk, took Mako by the arm and nearly shoved him into the back of the other custom's desk. Ashley stepped forward, instinctually, to help her friend, but the Guardian's hand shot out, effectively stopping her.

"I'm going to have to ask you to stay there, or I'll need to restrain you." Ashley froze. "Wait for your friend if you like, but that's it."

Ashley breathed deeply, trying to calm her racing heart, and turned her attention back to Mako, who seemed to have figured the same thing out. With a flash, a photo was taken, and Mako returned to the custom's desk. "Obviously a demon-" Ashley could barely make out what the customs officer was saying. "… any abilities?"

Mako spoke, and Ashley couldn't piece together what he said, because in the next instant, the Guardian next to the custom's desk grabbed Mako by the arm again and started to pull him away.

Guardian or no Guardian, Ashley surged forward, yelling at the man to stop. "Look! I'm human, okay? I'm human! We're just visiting!"

"Ma'am!" The lady Guardian shouted behind her.

All at once, chaos reigned as other Guardians from other customs desks raised their own rifles and pointed them at Ashley, who immediately froze and lifted her hands. They didn't stay there for long, though, because the lady Guardian caught up to her and pulled her arms back down, locking them into hand cuffs. "Let's go!" The lady Guardian pushed at Ashley, and the Guardian holding onto Mako dragged him behind them, too.

The Guardians led them both through the halls of Heathrow, eventually into back-hallways not normally open to the public. The metal handcuffs were cold against her wrists and chafed, but she kept her mouth shut. If she hadn't opened it to begin with they wouldn't be in this mess.

As it were, they took Mako to a holding cell, and let Ashley have her hands back once they brought her into their office.

"What was that?" The lady Guardian shouted.

"He's my friend! I didn't know where you were taking him!"

"He said he's an oblivion!" the male Guardian who had apprehended Mako spoke, his voice booming in the small office. The two Guardians were intimidating to say the least, but Ashley held her ground.

"Not a very powerful one!" she admitted. "And he hates himself for it too!" Maybe she said more than what Mako would want her to share, but at that moment, her only thought was to get them both out of there. "Look," she tried to calm down, tried to calm her brain to make rational decisions rather than spew anything that sounded good and damn the consequences. "He will be my charge, okay? This-" she fumbled for her wallet and her driver's license. "This is my permanent address. We will be staying here until Sunday, October 11. If anything happens - which it won't, you can find us here, okay? My father is Bill - sorry - _William_ Wright, of Wright United Technologies. He knows we're coming. You can call him if you need reassurances."

* * *

It was another two hours before they were released from their captors. The two Guardians had called their superiors, who had called Ashley's father. The Guardians led Ashley and Mako out from the offices and Mako's cell. Thankfully, their luggage hadn't been lost because they both had only brought carry-on suitcases, so they were deposited outside the offices with five more Guardians watching them. A young brunette woman in a long skirt and heels waited for them, her eyes lighting up as soon as she saw them.

"Ashley!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands and closing the distance to embrace her, ignoring the Guardians completely. Even as tired as she was, she didn't allow herself to be embraced by a strange woman, and stepped back last minute to re-asses who it was.

Immediately, she recognized Sophia as her expression turned from joy to hurt. "Sophia! Wow! Sorry I didn't recognize you!" Ashley apologized, feeling like an absolute dunce for the lapse. "Did you change your hair? You look different somehow."

They embraced, and Sophia pulled away to embrace Mako. He stiffened, but allowed it. "Nope!" she replied as she pulled away. "Same as always. I'm her sister by the way, Sophia."

"Mako," said the poor demon.

"You've got an interview later, don't you?" Mako nodded, and Sophia took the duffel from Mako's hands. "You look exhausted. If you want, you can crash for a bit beforehand, and then either I or Ashley can take you over there. You'll do better if you're rested."

"I can take him," Ashley piped up. "There's something I need to do anyway."

Sophia shrugged and led them to the car. Once they were in, Ashley turned to her sister. "So I hear you're a powerful psychic."

Sophia beamed as she started the car. "Jealous?"

Ashley scoffed, and glanced back at Mako in the back seat. He was staring out the window, though, lost in his thoughts. Likely the memories of what had just transpired. She knew she would have trouble sleeping that night, too. "Nah," Ashley replied to Sophia's question. "You enjoy that."

"You have no interest?" Sophia asked as she pulled out of her parking space.

"Absolutely none."

Their banter continued for the rest of the drive, a careless banter that was only achieved through years and years of sisterly history. She knew she'd likely get an ear-ful once she got home, but for a moment, she was safe and everything was okay.

* * *

The house looked the same as ever, sitting on Beckett Drive beneath a sky of gray. White face and gray doors so dark they looked black. The shrubs in front were still manicured into their little rectangle shapes. The gold details on the gate leading up to the front stoop still shone even in the dull weather. 212 Beckett Drive hadn't changed in the six months since Ashley had last seen it; it was what was inside that had changed. Or maybe, it had changed much longer ago and she had just never noticed? She really didn't want to entertain that idea at all.

She'd been standing across the street staring at it for the last twenty minutes after dropping Mako off at his interview and showing him where to go. Her father had spoken to her once they got home and Mako crashed upstairs, but it wasn't as bad as she thought it might be. And once Mako had woken, it was like he'd decided not to dwell on the incident, and had made no mention of it; it was back to business as usual.

So now she watched the house, wondering about what was inside. Wondering if she had the courage to cross the street, open the gate, and knock at the door. She'd had the courage to stand up to a bunch of Guardians at Heathrow, but that wasn't the same - she'd been reacting to them mistreating Mako. This was different.

If people gave her strange looks for watching the house, she had no recollection of it. She could remember when that house was purchased. The joy that Emily had felt to finally have a place of her own with her son and the love of her life. She could remember Christmases shared there with her parents and her sister in the living room, Christmas tree filling the bay windows that overlooked the perfectly manicured lawn out back. Daniel had proposed to Sophia almost two Christmases previously in that very living room. She herself had spent many weekends in one of the four guest bedrooms that they had, lounging about in her robe and making breakfast with the residents before heading back over to Cambridge. It was where she stayed when she needed to come to London but didn't want her parents making a fuss. 212 Beckett Drive had become a second home to her in just three short years. Emily had become a second sister. And she adored Derrick.

Now, as she gazed upon it across the street, it hit her that it was just a normal house. Just a regular house that housed regular people. People no one knew harbored hatred against anyone else until they showed their true colors.

But he was still family.

Ashley was glad she'd thought to grab her heavier coat; there was a chill in the air that whispered that winter was undeniably right around the corner.

The front door opened, then. She knew that it had a squeak to it, like something haunted, but from where she stood, she couldn't hear it. A man stepped out and shoved his hands into the pockets of his navy slacks as he leaned against the doorway of the house, watching her.

Blonde hair was pushed back and gelled into place. He wore his usual navy slacks with his usual navy blazer, and from where she stood, a shirt light in color, maybe blue? He liked wearing blue on blue. Had liked it since he was a teen and they were still living in Waltham Forest.

From where she stood, she couldn't see his gray eyes, so dark that they looked more blue than gray. She couldn't see the little scar that marked his jaw on the left side of his face. The door jam he leaned against hid the Longines watch she had bought him for his twenty-first birthday. It had a dark leather band and a silver face with blue numerals. She'd wanted to get him a watch with a navy face, since navy was always his favorite color, but she had seen that watch and it had been perfect for him. The watch that she'd saved to buy him for three years because it was nearly four thousand pounds and had to borrow the last one hundred from Sophia because she was short. It was the watch he never took off except to shower and sleep and if he didn't have it on he was scatter-brained and worried all day. She was also too far away to see his socks, but she knew they likely had tiny flowers on them because he'd always loved wearing socks that didn't quite match his put-together look and Emily liked flowers, anyway. He liked to wear things that reminded him of his two favorite people.

She'd know her brother anywhere.

"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come in?" Oliver finally called to her. His voice carried across the street, easily.

A lump formed in her throat. "Would you even want to see me?"

"You're my sister," he said simply. "Of course I do."

She crossed the street and opened the gate unceremoniously. An action she had done a thousand times before, all without worry about what might await her inside that house. How would she get along with her brother? By now he had to know of her connection to the demons, either from his own intelligence, or from one of her family members. Surely he knew of the Dean's College upcoming benefit. For the first time in her life, Ashley wondered if her relationship with her brother was damaged beyond repair and how they would get along face to face. And even if their relationship wasn't damaged beyond repair, how could she possibly condone his behavior toward the very people she loved and longed to protect?

She couldn't just ignore the fact that he hated demons. Even if it went unspoken between them, she could not see herself remaining friends with anyone who harbored such a hatred to see another being as being lesser, or even killed. She could not stand by idly and be okay with that type of opinion.

Even when it was Isla. Her best friend.

Or even if it was her own flesh and blood.

There were ways to get past differences of opinion such as, "I don't eat meat," or "I don't like her boyfriend." Differences of opinion were a different matter than this. When a person's existence was threatened, human or demon, whether spoken aloud or by unspoken opinion, she could not fathom accepting that opinion as anything other than what it was. Anything else could be swept under the rug, never spoken about, avoided at all costs to avoid a fight. Don't like the boyfriend? Make sure your friend is happy and that he doesn't abuse her. Voice your concerns, but otherwise keep your opinion to yourself. Don't like her boyfriend because he's a demon and you think of them as lesser than you and something that should be killed or otherwise harmed? You're a shitty person and need to re-examine your morals.

Brother or no, she couldn't be friends with a shitty person. But she had to see him face to face, whether to get to the root of his opinion - was it a front? - if so, that's still shitty, but could ultimately be forgiven. Or was it how he actually felt?

She had to know for certain.

But really, she wanted to say goodbye, because if it was, actually, the latter of the two, she wanted to say goodbye at least. As heartbreaking as it was. As much as she hated it. Because Oliver's hatred of demons, if that really was what it was, could not coincide with her love for her friends. With her love for Hiei.

No one forced her to do this. Hiei was in support of whatever she decided, but she felt this for herself.

Oliver held the door open for her as she crossed the threshold, a hesitant smile hovering at the corners of his lips. He shut the door just the same, the door squeaking again as he did, and they stared at each other for a moment before Ashley remembered her jacket and shrugged it off. Oliver took it just as quickly and hung it up.

Ashley swallowed, heart pounding, and glanced around the entry hall of the house. It was just the same as she had remembered. She'd met Knox for the first time six months ago in this very foyer. "Is Emily here?" She asked, her voice softer than she would have liked. She would have loved to see the ebony-skinned woman, but also knew that this conversation would go better if her sister-in-law weren't there.

Why did her brother have to be a stranger? She could have sobbed with the wrong-ness of the idea, but she kept it together.

"She and Derrick are visiting Derrick's grandmother," Oliver said, also shrugging out of his blazer and hanging it up on a hanger in the same coat closet. "I've only just gotten back myself." Even though she had once moved through that house with ease, she followed him through the house.

"You were out?" For whatever reason when her father had said all those months ago that Oliver was taking some time, she hadn't really thought of him doing anything else than visiting Scotland. Of course he would continue his life.

He rolled up his sleeves as he went to the kitchen sink to wash them. "Business," he said with a grin. Just as she had suspected on the street, he wore a white button-up shirt with light blue vertical lines down the shirt. Always the blue-on-blue with him. It was so… Oliver.

A breath escaped her that she didn't realize she'd been holding. He was her brother. No need to be nervous.

"What brings you into town?" Watching him wash his hands, she realized, not for the first time, how handsome he was. In the traditional sense. Not seeing him for so long, though, brought all the details about him to light that she never really paid attention to.

He was tall. Even taller than their father, and broad across the chest. He stayed in shape, too. A sprinkling of freckles ran across his nose and the back of his forearms. As she glanced down at his arms, though, a thin black line on his skin caught her attention, peeking out from beneath his rolled sleeves.

Realizing he'd asked her a question, however, she stammered to catch up, "Oh, uh… The Dean's - The Dean's College is putting on a benefit." As she spoke the words, though, she realized there was no way to avoid where the conversation was about to head. "… For the victims of the Guardian-led attacks."

"That's good. You should stand up for what you believe in. Don't let anyone shake you." She didn't respond. He glanced over his shoulder at her as he put on a kettle of tea. "I'm not going to bite your head off for that, you know."

Embarrassment flooded her. She shifted, drawing in breath to steady herself. "Well, I don't know … I feel like I don't know you anymore. I don't know what you believe."

"Is that why you came here?" He turned, and leaned against the cabinets to watch her. Unable to maintain eye contact at that moment, Ashley turned her back on him and meandered through the living room just a few paces away from the kitchen. The kitchen overlooked one white sofa and two arm chairs. A tv was mounted over the fireplace against the far wall, and a Persian rug was soft beneath her feat. The bay windows where the Christmas tree stood during winter holiday sat behind the arm chairs. They stretched from floor to ceiling, two floors up. The balcony of the second floor overlooked the living room. Beyond the window's curtains, skies darkened with incoming rain, and drenched the living room in shadow as well. Photos decorated the space. Photos of family together, of Oliver and Emily, of Derrick, and Ashley walked through the living room-turned gallery.

"I'm here to find out, yes, but to say goodbye, too, if what I fear is true." The words tumbled out before she could stop them, but there they were. She glanced up from her looking. Oliver's face had nearly crumpled with her words, and his usual confident posture had nearly caved. Sadness flooded her. How desperately she wanted everything she knew not to be true.

Silence stretched between them, and eventually she looked back down, unable to handle the emotion that threatened to spill. The kettle started screaming. Oliver turned, and with his attention elsewhere, Ashley quickly dried her eyes and took several deep breaths, covering her sudden emotion by continuing to look over the photographs. One in particular caught her eye.

Footsteps behind her told her that he approached. The light clink of china against the glass coffee table told her he'd set their tea down. A moment later, a light flipped on behind her as thunder rumbled far away.

She turned, and took in her brother. Her sibling that she'd always been closest to. The one member of her family that she knew better than herself.

He'd composed his expression as well, but he looked nervous, almost. With a huff of a breath, he stood before her and rolled up the sleeve of his left arm. The sliver of a dark line took shape, and two rapiers became visible. Two rapiers crossed in an X. The latin phrase, _vita in morte_ was scrawled between them. _Life in Death_.

Isla had told her this, hadn't she? When they'd met for their trip just over a month ago. How had it only been a month?

But she remembered. The tattoo was obvious. She cursed, her stomach dropping out. It was worse than she thought. A chill ran through her. "You're a Guardian?" she whispered.

Oliver's teeth clenched, and he rolled his sleeve back down. "I'm near the top." He said it without pride or disdain, like they were discussing the weather.

"Dammit Oliver." He sat and reached for his cup of tea. The blow hadn't paused, though. The support nearly fell out of her legs, but she caught herself on the fireplace mantle, her hand grasping at the painted wood. Right next to the face she hadn't seen in years. "And what do you think he would think of this, huh?" She took the frame from the mantle and crossed the room, tossing it into her brother's lap.

Two men looked up at Oliver from inside the frame. They were grinning, delighted, and unequivocally in love. "Charlie wouldn't want you to do this."

Charles Rivas. Charlie. Ashley watched her brother's expression twist. He nearly tossed his cup of tea to the side, but sat it down back on it's saucer. "Charlie is the reason I am," he said stiffly, handing the frame back to her. When she didn't take it, he set it on the coffee table. Just to get it away from him.

Ashley glowered at him. "Why? He fought for demon equality, as did you if I remember once upon a time." She remembered it perfectly. It was her first visit to the University of Edinburgh, where Oliver was getting his master's. He brought her up, just as he promised he would back during that party. Charlie was studying there too. He and Charlie had been engaged since Cambridge, where they had originally met and dated. By the time it was passed in 2014, they were one of the first couples to be wed. So, when Ashley came up to visit them in the Spring of 2015, they had been wed for a full year, and Scotland had recognized their marriage for three months. That was the same trip she'd met Emily for the first time, too. They had all been friends. And Charlie was determined to change the world and spread tolerance for demons. Oliver and Emily were part of it too, as well as some demons that also went to the University. They petitioned to governments, and spoke at events. Ashley remembered how cool she thought they all were.

Oliver looked up, his expression dark. "And he was killed by demons, too."

"That doesn't make it alright to hate them! One demon doesn't speak for all of them. Not all demons are bad!" She started to walk away, but turned on her heel. "I don't even know who you are anymore."

"You know me. You know me the best out of everyone else. Only Charlie knew me better." Ashley stiffened and nearly turned away. She could barely even bring herself to look at him.

"Do I though?" she spat, shaking her head. "I don't even recognize you anymore."

Oliver's tone changed, then. Angry. Frustrated. "I don't know; do you? I thought you knew me. What I was capable of. Maybe I was wrong."

"I cannot even fathom how you could do something like this. I've never known you to be this person!" She hissed, venom spitting.

He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it just as quickly. He looked pained, as if whatever he wanted to say was causing him great pain in not saying it.

She took a steadying breath, hands on her hips. Anger still flashed through her, though. She couldn't look at him. "And…" she took another breath. "And Emily? Does she know?"

Surely she didn't. She couldn't imagine the woman staying with her brother otherwise.

"She knows." Ashley's stomach dropped out.

"And she's okay with it?" Ashley asked, incredulous.

Oliver shook his head. "She's not. She hates me for it."

"So she's not part of it, then."

"No," Oliver replied, glancing down and shaking his head once. His right hand found the band of his watch and he twisted it on his wrist. A nervous habit. "She refuses to be."

"Well that's good at least," Ashley muttered. Silence fell upon them, and in that silence, so did the weight of Oliver's truth. As much as she hated herself for it, a sob escaped from between her lips, tears finally gathering in her eyes for him to see. Try as she might to keep it steady, even her voice shook. She needed to get out of there. At that moment, she couldn't stand to be in his presence. How he'd fallen. "I'll never stop fighting you."

His jaw clenched, but his eyes became red as he fought his own tears. She could nearly hear the very fabric of space ripping a chasm between them. "I'll _never_ stop fighting everything you stand for."

He stood, then, anxiously tapping his hand against his leg as he glared at her, as if fighting himself on something. He crossed the few paces to her and embraced her, slowly, as if afraid she would pull away. As much as she didn't want to be hugged right then by him, she also knew that if she pushed him away she would regret it for the rest of her days. So, she allowed the hug, and hugged him back. Breathing him in. Feeling his arms holding her together. Pretending, even if just for a moment, that she didn't know the truth. That it was just a hug from her brother. That this earth-shattering revelation was still a secret. For just a moment. It would be the last hug from him, she knew. At least until he woke up. And it wasn't her job to wake him up. That thought alone sent her teetering dangerously near the edge of breaking down completely.

Oliver leaned his head against hers as he clutched his little sister. "Good." He whispered into her hair, and squeezed her tighter.

At one point while they where growing up, he would have cried, "Sister germs!" and forced her away, but in that moment, he let her pull away first. And when she did, she didn't look up at him. Didn't say anything. She tried to hold herself together, for she felt she was falling apart. She felt like she was falling into that chasm between them, and if she wasn't, she wanted to. How desperately she wanted to.

"Goodbye, Oliver."

Tea forgotten, she quickly walked back through the house, grabbed her coat from the closet and threw it on, and opened the front door. It squeaked, and it made her stop again, the sound grounding her for half a second, long enough to pause and look back to him. He hadn't moved. His shirt was rumpled from where she'd hugged him, and wetness from her tears stained it from where tears had soaked in. He looked broken, her brother. Her brother who had been her best friend. Her brother who knew her better than she knew herself. Her brother who always knew how to fix everything.

Everything but his morals.

* * *

Ashley shut the door behind her and ran down the steps, throwing the gate open and sprinting down the block until she came to an alley and threw herself against the brick, her heart shattering.

It had taken several minutes to compose herself, but by the time she did, she was drenched. It had started raining while she cried in that alley, and though she'd thought to grab her heavier coat, she hadn't thought to grab an umbrella. Absentmindedly, she wished she'd grabbed one of Oliver's, but that thought just sent her into another good cry. So by the time she was finished, eyes puffy and red, and nose as red as her eyes, she was nearly soaked.

Rather than walking the twenty minutes to the Dean's College, she hailed a cab and rode there, apologizing to the cabby of messing his seats. By the end of the short journey, he was just happy to get her out of his cab.

The Dean's College hadn't changed much at all. Contrary to it's name, it wasn't connected to a college at all, but instead consisted of two small independent buildings. One was the concert hall, the second was a multi-storied building with offices, recording studios, and practice rooms. Mako was in Laurie's office, she knew. He would be the one to conduct the initial interview and audition, as he did with all the prospective members. His office was hidden in a back hallway that many people thought was a janitor's hall. How many times had she, herself, gotten lost trying to find his office in her early days with the college?

His door was still shut, so she leaned against the wall. The College was quiet except for the low voices murmuring on the other side of the door.

It was another thirty minutes before the door opened, and she'd sunk down to the floor long ago. Quickly, she rose, and greeted her, his eyes alight. Before she could even ask how it went, she heard her name.

"Ashley." Laurie's voice caught her attention. He was hanging onto the wall with one hand, as if he had grabbed it to stop his momentum, and was leaning into the hallway. "A word?"

Ashley held up a finger to Mako to ask, "one minute?" Mako nodded, and turned to lean against the wall as he waited for her.

Ashley followed Laurie into his office, shutting the door behind her. He walked around his desk, and leaned over his chair, bracing his hands on it. The veins in his forearms stood out, and the white button up he wore stretched over his muscled chest. Greying blonde hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and the beginnings of a beard sprinkled over his jaw. When she was in high school she'd had the biggest crush on the man, but even pushing fifty he was still handsome.

"Laurie?" Ashley asked for a moment. Wondering about the seriousness of him. He was never this serious.

"Unofficially," he began, finally straightening. "He's in."

"Really?" Ashley gasped, excitement flooding her. She wouldn't be able to say anything, of course, which would be torture, but this secret she would keep.

Laurie was laughing, mirth in his eyes. "He's good, Ashley. _Really_ good. I haven't seen this level of talent in years."

" _Really?_ " Ashley asked again, in awe. She had known Mako was talented, but Laurie had seen hundreds if not of talented musicians join the Dean's College in the twenty or so years he'd been working with them.

"He's an absolute natural. A prodigy, perhaps." Laurie quietened for a moment, thinking. "What are your plans after this year? I know you're teaching in Japan now, but what will you do when the year is complete in March?"

His question took her aback. Stumbling, she said, "I actually hadn't given it much thought yet. That's still six months away."

Laurie nodded, taking it in. "Well, listen," he began. "If you're interested, the Dean's College would like to hire you full time, first, to stick around to get Mako to a better level of English, but also to join our symphony." Shock slowly filled Ashley, and it took every ounce of determination she had to concentrate on what Laurie was saying. "You'd still need to audition and interview, of course, but our pianist just filed for retirement, and if you're still as good as you were before, we could use your skill."

Speechless. Absolutely speechless. Ashley's heart soared. This was what she'd been wanting for years, really. To be able to have a career making music. To have a career playing professionally.

But - that would mean moving back to England. That would mean leaving her friends, and… would Hiei still be able to visit her if she lived in England? How would their relationship work if that were the case? Going into her teaching year abroad, she had known it would only be for a year, and then she would return to London and find a career. A break of sorts, to get her feet wet in the real world, and then return to work. But all of the relationships and ties she'd made in Japan. She hadn't thought about the end of that experience in so long, it felt like a foreign concept. Did she even _want_ to leave at the end of the year? Her family was in England and her friends were in Japan. But where did _she_ want to be?

Laurie was smiling, watching her. "I can tell you're thinking. I can see the wheels in your head turning. But take your time. Think it over, and let me know, and we can audition and interview you at Christmas. I assume you're coming back for that, right?"

Ashley was nodding even before he finished.

"Second," he continued with a smile at her enthusiasm, "You remember Kabir Dara? He just had a death in the family and had to withdraw from the benefit. With it being tomorrow, we're a little cramped to find anyone so short-notice. We were wondering if you would be willing to play on your own tomorrow?"

She excitement she had felt only moments prior drained out of her as her heart stopped and panic crept in. "You mean… play tomorrow?" Laurie nodded, hands still braced against the chair. "But I haven't prepared anything!"

"What if you did that one piece you were always so good at?" He thought for a moment, his brows scrunched in thought. "That Chopin piece… you know, the one that won you all those awards?"

The bottom dropped out of her stomach. "The Fantaisie Impromptu?"

Laurie snapped his fingers and straightened. "That's the one! You still have it memorized?"

Surely this was a joke. "I haven't played that in _years_."

"You've got twenty five hours to practice?" he was trying to lighten her panic, she knew, but just the proposition of picking up that piece again after so long was an enormous ask. One much bigger than just twenty five hours. Less, really, if you counted dress rehearsal that began in just eighteen hours."Well, hey. It was your most popular performance. Whatever you decide on, though, I need it by the time I get out of here."

He always left at seven. Ashley checked her watch, blanching. "You mean in two hours."

Laurie shrugged. "Family deaths are never convenient."

* * *

Four hours.

Ashley had been practicing for the four hours into the night after dinner had concluded. Sophia curled up in the armchair across from where the piano was, reading a book and twirling a strand of hair around her fingers. A glass of whiskey sat forgotten on the table next to her. Mako had spread out on the floor. Not that there wasn't a seat on the couch for him, but he preferred the floor to spread out his interview notes. His second interview wasn't for another two days, but with the concert the next day, he knew that would take all of his attention. At the grand piano sat Ashley, wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up pouring over the sheet music scattered across the piano, trying desperately to re-memorize a piece she hadn't played in close to four years. Across the house, a door open and shut, and a few moments later Hiei appeared at the entryway of the room.

"What is that obnoxious noise?" He groused, and the notes came to a haphazard halt as she reached for one of the pages buried beneath others.

"I don't think I've ever seen you actually use the front door," Ashley said instead of an actual reply.

"Yes you have. I used it when you and I were still a joke."

She didn't even look up at him. "Oh, you're right…" several minutes passed as she studied the sheet in her hand. A pencil poked at her bottom lip as she read over the music. Finally came a slow, "Never mind."

"Good to see you too, Hiei," Sophia said from the armchair, finally looking up. She hadn't changed since the last time he'd seen her. Her right hand held her page in the book, but she wore a tired smile.

"I thought you'd be in bed," Hiei said, the comment aimed at Ashley, but she was lost in her own thoughts. Instead, Sophia replied:

"We would be, except Laurie volun-told Ashley to play at the benefit tomorrow so we're keeping her company."

Before Hiei could formulate a reply, an exhausted groan came from the piano."I'm pretty sure Chopin wrote this piece to torture me."

"Yes, Ashley," Sophia replied casually, rolling her eyes and turning back to her book. "Chopin wrote that piece specifically to torture _you_."

"The sixteenth notes against the triplets make me want to cry," Ashley mumbled. Truly, she only barely felt like crying, but the frustration was there. She was just being dramatic. Another hour and she'd have it down again. Really, the polyrhythm was easy. She'd excelled in technical pieces for years. It was just getting the feel of the piece down again and remembering where her hands went. The muscle memory was just a little buried under four and a half years of a physics degree and teaching English.

"You were the best at this piece once upon a time," Sophia reminded her.

"And you'll be the best at it again," Mako said quietly from the floor. Ashley shot a smile at him.

Hiei kept his mouth shut and crossed the room to stand behind Ashley to take a closer look at what it was she was working on. In her left hand she held the music and her right traced over the keys, sometimes hitting a note or two as she went over the allusive rhythms for what felt like the millionth time that night. If she'd had a full day to prepare she could do it no problem, but sound check was at eleven tomorrow morning and she knew that as jet-lagged as she was she would want to sleep in tomorrow, so she was still up practicing so she wouldn't have to worry so much tomorrow.

She felt Hiei behind her, his body a ghost of a touch. How much did she want to curl up with him in bed and drift off to sleep, so she pulled away from him. "I need to finish this."

A low curse slipped from between his lips. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Is there even white on that page or did a pen explode?" She couldn't keep the smile at bay when he said that. It wasn't _that_ bad; she'd played worse. She tilted her head back to look at him. His scarlet eyes met hers. "You can read that?" Awe filled his voice.

It was hard to talk with her head at the angle it was, so she simply said, "Yep."

He leaned down to kiss her, squeezing her arms in a light embrace as he did. His scent washed over her; he'd been to Demon World. She would recognize that scent anywhere these days.

He didn't linger, but instead slipped away and sat on the floor next to her and leaned back against the leg of the piano.

* * *

"Hey Sophia!" Ashley called out her sister's name, drawing out the last syllable. A moment later, her sister peeked her head into Ashley's room.

"Trying on your dress for tonight?"

"Yes!" Ashley groaned, trying at the zipper again and groaning in frustration. "But the zipper is stuck. Help?"

Sophia smiled gently and crossed the room. Ashley turned back to the mirror. It was the dress she'd performed in time and time again. For events like this, she would wear whatever color of dress she wanted, and yet she'd always found luck in playing in black dresses. The dress she'd worn through high school and that one year at the beginning of university, was simple enough. Floor-length, and opaque, except the top. Lace covered her shoulders and had three-quarter length lace sleeves. Ashley gathered her hair in her hands so Sophia could hopefully get the zipper to close, but after a moment of Sophia's hands fluttering at her back, she stepped to the side to appraise Ashley.

"Of course it's not closing," Sophia remarked, and Ashley let her hair drop, the blood racing back into her arms. "No one weighs the same as they did before uni."

Ashley rolled her eyes with a huff. "Load of help you are!" Hands on her hips, she glanced at the dress in the mirror. She'd wondered if this would happen when she went into her closet to find it. She knew she didn't weigh the same as high school, but she also wasn't fat. Still, did she want to wear the exact same thing as she had five years ago? Not particularly, but the dress rehearsal was in two hours and the concert began in six. Hiei had left an hour previously to do whatever it was he was doing to prepare for the battle in just a week.

"Do you have anything?" She turned to her sister, who was watching her with affection. Sophia immediately shook her head.

"Not a thing. But I'll go with you if you like to find something?"

Fifteen minutes later, Ashley had found Mako, who was heading over to the concert hall early to practice, and the three of them they were racing out the front door. But as they opened it, they nearly collided into the man entering in the process.

"Daniel-? What on earth!" Ashley took only a moment to regain her bearings and attack Daniel in a hug. Sophia's fiance, and Isla's… Isla's brother. She released the poor man, and stepped back. "What are you doing here?"

For all of Isla's charm, she looked more like her mother. Whereas Daniel looked more like their father. They both had dark hair and brown eyes, but it Daniel's heritage was more obvious - his Mexican-American blood shone through. Isla had always been more fair-skinned. It had been less obvious for her. Daniel wasn't too much taller than Sophia, and his hair stuck up in every direction, mussed from the wind. Circle glasses slipped down his nose as he pushed them back up.

He was smiling as Sophia stepped around Ashley and gave him a quick kiss.

"Well, I was just coming over for breakfast - Sophia mentioned you were in town, but I guess you're on your way out?"

"Yeah, my dress doesn't fit. We're heading out to try to find something else before rehearsal."

"Ashley." Mako caught her attention, speaking Japanese. "I'll see you there?"

"Oh hey, yeah. Sorry man!" Daniel stepped out of his way.

For a moment, Ashley was completely lost as to why Mako was staring at Daniel as if he'd grown a second head.

As it dawned on her through, she turned to Daniel. "Wait. Last I checked, you couldn't speak Japanese?"

"Ah, yes," the man shuffled uncomfortably. "I seem to have the ability to translate languages. Anyone who's in my vicinity can understand each other. Been something I've been honing recently." He tried not to look too proud, but the pleasure he had at being able to control his ability shone through.

"That would have been helpful to know yesterday," Mako muttered, turning back to Ashley briefly. Ashley nearly choked in laughter. Dinner the night prior had been difficult, trying to catch up with her parents and play translator for Mako.

"Daniel," the man stuck his hand out to Mako. The young demon took it and replied with his own name. "Nice to meet you!"

"And you," Mako replied stiffly, as he turned back to Ashley. "I'm going on over. See you there?" Ashley nodded and Mako slipped out the door, leaving Ashley and Sophia alone in the foyer with Daniel.

Daniel continued once the door _clicked_ shut behind Mako. "You know, Isla was actually working on learning this skill when…"

Ashley should have caught his sudden hesitation to finish the sentence, but something else caught her attention instead. "Wait, Isla had psychic power?"

Thinking back to their vacation at the end of August, Isla had never brought it up.

Daniel nodded, somewhat sober. "She had a sound ability. Sound waves and such. Her boyfriend, Arnold, pulled it to the surface."

Ashley was connecting the dots as he spoke. "Arnold was a powerful demon?" How could she not have known all of this about her best friend? Daniel was nodding. "I'd love to meet him. Is he in town this weekend?" The prospect of getting to meet him - and for a moment feel a little closer to Isla, was nearly overwhelming.

Daniel shifted, uncomfortably. "He, uh… he was traveling at the same time Isla was. They were supposed to meet up at Heathrow on their way back in." Daniel didn't have to say what came next. "He died in Heathrow as well."

She'd never even met the man, but knowing he was gone, too, was like someone swept her legs out from under her. The idea that she might feel close to Isla again, even if just for a moment, had been brief, but it had been powerful. She was gone. It was as simple as that. She nodded, and coughed, once, to clear the lump in her throat. "And how are you doing?"

He nodded before he spoke. Sophia slipped a hand around his waist. "Better." He didn't say anything more on the topic, and who could blame him? His little sister had been killed.

She couldn't imagine losing one of her siblings-

But she caught herself, but not soon enough to avoid another lump to form in her throat. She had lost a sibling, hadn't she? It was better than losing him to the finality of death, though.

"You're welcome to stay, Daniel," Sophia spoke next to him. "I should only be gone an hour or so, and I'll be back until the benefit. He nodded.

"It was good to see you, Ashley," Daniel tried to look happy and chase away the black cloud that had descended upon the conversation, but Ashley couldn't seem to match the same happiness, try as she might.

Still, she and Sophia slipped from the house and made their way over to her favorite dress shop. After trying on dresses for an hour, she found one that worked well enough, made her purchase, and she and Sophia went their separate ways.

Dress rehearsal was a lot of waiting around. The performers listened to how it would work - only two were new to the benefit structure, Mako included - and then each performer took the stage to practice their piece and the sound crew made sure everything sounded okay. Same with the lighting guys. A camera crew set up in the back, and tested their equipment. Of course it would be recorded, and likely broadcasted, too. Really, it wasn't anything new. When it was a benefit like this, the College liked to broadcast to one or more stations. It increased donations.

She went through the Fantaisie Impromptu without fanfare, and then Mako joined her on stage for their piece. Once they were done, they were done until the evening. Nearly two o'clock Mako left his violin in Ashley's dressing room, and they left the concert hall to head back to the house to grab a few last-minute things and relax.

Mako had this audition - the formal audition - and then a final interview in front of a panel of College members tomorrow. "After this I'm halfway there," he remarked quietly from his seat in the cab.

His somber tone caught Ashley's attention. "Are you nervous?"

"No," he replied. "But I don't know what I'll do if I don't get this."

He tore his gaze from the window he leaned against, and glanced at Ashley, who offered him a reassuring smile. "You'll do fine," she replied, biting her tongue from telling him what Laurie had told her just yesterday. He would do more than fine, she knew. "I've heard you play. You're incredible. And our piece is incredible. _You_ wrote that."

Mako finally chuckled. "We wrote it."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "No, you dork. We came up with an idea. You brought it to life."

* * *

The Jagan hated most of Europe. The parts where magick had once reined free, and the United Kingdom was teeming with it. The magick clashed with his Jagan, and it made locating Ashley extremely difficult. Really, the only thing that saved him was the cell phone he had. The Jagan was nearly useless, and almost not worth the effort it took to use it for location purposes here.

His phone chimed, and he glanced at it - Sophia, asking for a word before he went in. That was fine. He would arrive in plenty of time.

Everything was taken care of. At least for the next couple of days. He could take a moment to enjoy this time with Ashley, what might be their last weekend together -

No. He refused to think like that.

But even so, the thoughts still rose at times, unbidden. The fact was this: the battle was planned for one week from tomorrow. Next Saturday would change everything. Not everyone would make it home. They knew that every time they went into battle. He had known that fact since his earliest days. Blood would be spilled, and there was little anyone could do to change it. Who would be cut down, however, was unknown. Hopefully as many of the Legion as possible.

Ashley, Mako, and the Wright family were already at the concert hall, and he headed straight there. The benefit had begun nearly an hour previously, but he really only wanted to go to see her. She was playing close to 7:30, he knew, so he would get there by then.

He dropped to the ground in front of the concert hall, a figure waiting for him. "Thought you wouldn't make it," Sophia said in greeting.

"I'm here," he replied. "What's going on?"

"I figured you'd rather us talk away from Ashley," she replied, leaning on the balcony. A garden sprawled beneath, but Hiei knew she didn't much care about it. He nodded. She'd been right about that. "Something is coming," she began, crossing her arms. She wore a nice enough floor-length dress, green in color, though Hiei didn't notice it immediately. Her words sent off alarm bells in his head. Before he could open her mouth, she plowed on. "I just got notice of it today."

"From your source."

She nodded, her expression neutral. They both knew Hiei wouldn't push as to who her source was. She wouldn't divulge.

"Do you know what it is?" He asked instead.

She shook her head, brunette curls bouncing. She'd kept her hair down, bangs swept back away from her face. "No, but I know it's a Guardian-led attack. We haven't heard much from the Legion. They're unaware of your plans, too, if you're curious."

He knew, as soon as she said it, that he should have been. That that thought should have occurred to him, to ask Sophia, but Kurama was usually the one to think of things like that, not him.

He stayed quiet, but nodded in appreciation. "We're thinking the go-ahead will come in the next few days."

"You'll let me know?" He confirmed, but he didn't need to. She would, and Sophia murmured her reply as such. "She still hasn't made any decisions, you know," Hiei continued, relaxing a little. For a moment, he could relax. Nothing was coming to get them. At least not in that moment.

Sophia quirked a brow at him. "You told me on your porch a month ago - respect her decision. She hasn't made any big decisions."

Sophia smiled, crossing her feet at the ankle and breathed in amusement, a soft puff of air through her nose. "She will." She paused for a heart beat. "You know, Spirit World is beginning their punishment." That caught his attention. "It took Ashley much too long to recognize me when I picked her up yesterday."

"You're sure it's Spirit World's influence?"

"Who else could it be?" Sophia shrugged. "I broke their laws, so I'll be punished. In the worst way possible."

Hiei barely paused. "I'll make sure she remembers you, anyway."

That got a chuckle, even if it was humorless. "Probably not a good idea, but I appreciate you. Just let them get what they want and it'll all be over sooner, and it won't drag on."

Hiei clenched his jaw. He didn't agree, but it was better not to argue with the woman - much like her younger sister. He could always do the opposite later.

* * *

He and Sophia finished their conversation amicably, and she pointed him toward Ashley's dressing room. He knocked twice, and entered the room. Mako lounged on the couch while Ashley sat at the vanity. Upon seeing Hiei enter the room, Mako rose. "I'll see you out there," he said, and Ashley smiled as he left, passing Hiei with a curt nod.

The door shut behind him, and Hiei took her in. Ashley rose from her place on the vanity's bench, the black dress spilling to the floor like silken water.

He hadn't noticed Sophia's dress, but he noticed Ashley's. It was a one-shoulder piece, with diamonds or rhinestones in a pattern on her right shoulder, hidden beneath soft waves that she'd gathered on that side. Her hair was also gathered to the same side. Her make up was done, and she barely looked the same, but in the same breath, she looked more grown up than he'd ever seen her.

Suddenly, he was very aware that he'd decided to fore go the tux she'd offered him the night before and had come straight from training in his usual black cloak.

"You're quiet," she remarked as he crossed the room to her.

"I'm debating ripping that dress off of you," he whispered in her ear with a growl, his hands snaking over her hips.

A small laugh escaped her lips. "You better not. This is the only one I have and I go out in fifteen."

"Fifteen… minutes?" Hiei growled and kissed her, catching her bottom lip between his teeth. Absentmindedly he hoped she wasn't wearing lipstick, but rather one of her lip stains.

Oh well.

Her breath caught, and he kissed her, his tongue meeting hers. A hand found its way into her hair, careful to slip under her pony tail, and careful not to muss her hair. His other hand found her buttock and pulled her to his body, roughly. In his cloak, she couldn't slip her hands to his body, but instead, she did grasp his neck, and the other wrapped around his waist. He was certain she could feel him throbbing. Oh, but she looked heavenly. And they hadn't had sex in nearly a week. It took all of his self-control to pull away when a knock came to the door and an attendant stuck her head in.

"Ashley Lynn, you have ten minutes."

A blush rose to her cheeks, as Ashley pulled away from Hiei and thanked the woman. "Will you walk with me?"

He didn't need to be asked twice. He took her hand, and she led him through the hallways and through a door that led to the back of the stage. It was dark and quiet, but Hiei could see nearly perfectly. The performer, a young boy on a saxophone, was playing still, but Ashley took her place at the edge, where she could easily walk on as soon as he was finished. She turned to Hiei, then, and pulled him close, though nothing that was too indecent. They would have fun later, but right then, he just wanted to be in her world.

Breathing deeply, he leaned his head down to her, and she leaned forward so that their foreheads touched, noses centimeters apart.

She breathed in his scent, and he breathed hers. She traced lines against one of his palms, and with her other hand, released his that she'd been holding, bringing it up to wrap around his neck again.

For minutes they stayed like that, letting the sultry sax weave notes that promised good times later.

Too soon, the sax's final note hovered in the air, and went silent, applause filling the space instead, bringing them both back to the present. Ashley pulled away first, a smile playing at her features. Hiei watched her, as she watched him. Behind her, on the stage, the sax player exited the stage, and crewmen rolled out a piano.

"You're next."

 **\- End of Chapter Thirty-Three -**

* * *

 **Thank you to JohnGreenGirl for your lovely review and support!**

 **I** **'ll keep this brief, because I've got a friend coming into town for the weekend, and I still need to finish cleaning. I did a quick spell check, but I'll edit it better later. Still, I'm so happy with the way this chapter turned out. I think it's one of my favorites that I've written; I hope you all enjoyed it too! Also, Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu is an actual piece. I hope you go listen to it! (I was reading the comments of it and where Ashley complains about the triplets against the sixteenth notes making her want to cry, someone actually said in the comments section of Youtube, so credit to that person!)**

 **We** **'ve only got one more chapter until the end of Part 1, which I hope to also post by the end of this weekend. (If not I** **will** **post it before the beginning of next.) So exciting! And with this chapter, I** **'ve also passed 200,000 words written for this story, and this chapter is 10,400 itself. Wow. I can't believe we're here.**

 **One final thing, there was a review that a guest left me awhile back that** **'s buried in my reviews now. Since it was a guest, I couldn't respond to the review, but the comment that was made was that even though Isla holds the view of hating demons, Ashley should still respect her opinion. And that even though Ashley holds a different opinion, she should still accept others for their faults and not pressure her beliefs on them. Way back in 2005, there wasn't such a thing as being able to respond privately to reviews, so I would write my replies to each person's reviews in the author's note at the end of each chapter. Since I didn't get to respond to that review privately, I'll do that now publicly. This viewpoint has been bothering me since it was left. If that person is still reading please refer to the scene with Oliver for my opinion on the matter. If you still disagree, please do not message me directly; we will not be able to see eye-to-eye on this matter. And please to anyone else reading this, do not negatively respond to that person if you're to leave reviews as well. This conversation is closed.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


	34. Turning Carriages into Pumpkins

**A/N: I** **'ve had a good chunk of this chapter written since December 2017, so it's incredible getting to share this with you now. Thank you for sticking with me this long. Since we've reached the end of part one, Chapter Thirty-Five, which is the beginning of part 2, will be posted on or around August 6, to mark the two years since beginning this story. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Please leave some love if you enjoy it; it truly makes my day.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**

 **Warnings** **: vague descriptions of absolute destruction.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Four

 _Turning Carriages into Pumpkins_

Applause erupted as Ashley walked across the stage. She bowed once to the audience, then sat at the piano as the applause died. Beneath the spotlights, the stones on her dress shimmered. With that black dress on, she blended into the colors of the piano, almost becoming an extension of it.

She adjusted herself on the bench, reaching forward with her feet and testing the pedals of the piano. In the audience, people whispered to each other. To themselves it was likely quiet, but to Hiei it might as well have been they were speaking at normal volume to each other.

"…Chopin's Op. 66…"

"…can't believe we get to see it…"

The whispers set Hiei's teeth on edge, and he would have liked nothing more than to shut them up, but the whispers didn't seem to reach Ashley, because she began playing. The room descended into silence except for the piano.

Hiei had seen her play numerous times in the time he had known her. Usually whenever he was off patrolling and taking care of matters, he would return and find her at the piano. She never played a piece as difficult as the one she was currently playing, but during those times he could see the contentedness and joy radiating off her.

Now, as she played, she was stiff, methodical. Of course, her back was to him. As she played, he crossed the back of the stage to stand on the other side, finding Mako already there, violin in hand. They nodded to one another, but didn't speak.

Hiei refocused on Ashley. Sure enough, just as her back had been stiff from the other side, her expression held no joy. Maybe something more pained? As the piece backed off on intensity, her expression softened, emotion flowing from the notes, but it wasn't happiness. She was doing her duty, and that was it. This performance was a chore.

"I'll make sure she's okay, you know," Mako whispered, stealing Hiei's attention away from Ashley. When Hiei didn't respond, the oblivion continued. "During the battle. And… after, too. She told me about it."

He didn't reply, and Mako didn't say another word. As much as he hated to admit it, he was grateful. Next week would change everything.

Applause erupted as the piece faded into silence once more. Ashley stood and motioned to Hiei, catching him off-guard, but instead, Mako moved. He crossed the stage, a smile breaking through his obvious nerves as he joined Ashley on stage. She sat again and re-adjusted herself. Mako watched her, and once she was ready, they made eye contact. Barely perceptible, Ashley nodded and a moment later, Mako lifted the violin to his chin and began to play.

It was a soft melody, drawing out the notes, reaching higher and higher until they tumbled down the scale again. The piano met the violin and picked up the notes, tripping over themselves all the way to the bottom of the scale. The melody emulated darkness. Darkness overflowing, a single note held out until it began to fade.

Chords brought the melody back out of the darkness and Mako picked it up again, the violin screeching to life. Mako exploded the tune, bright, colorful music ripping through the air, forcing itself to be heard, and Ashley provided the backup. Before long, it turned into a conversation, the violin filling the air, and then the piano. Short bursts, long repetitions. The two musicians held a conversation between one another, human and demon, until Mako pulled away and pushed the violin's notes front and center.

Watching them, Ashley beamed. Mako pulled his heart and soul through the music. The piece that he and Ashley had worked on and perfected over the last two weeks, sometimes staying up late, but every minute of every day, Hiei had watched Ashley fuss over the piece. Tweaking things here or there, going back to Mako, and they worked out the kinks again.

Watching them over the last two weeks, since he was only around when he could be, it had been in direct contrast to how he had seen her last night, slaving away in front of the piano. There had been no joy in what she had done, forcing herself to re-memorize something she never thought she'd have to play ever again. Now, in front of him, and in front of the audience and the cameras, the joy and happiness shone brightly. Playing became something she loved.

She radiated as brightly as the stones on the dress she wore.

* * *

The dinner after the performance was the worst part of the benefits. It was the time that _hors d'oeuvres_ were served, wine was poured, and patrons got to meet the performers. It was a second chance for patrons to meet the people who had just played and would decide whether or not to bump up their contributions. And it was the time of the evening that always lasted much, much too long in Ashley's opinion. She usually had an hour at most in her before wanting to quit and slip away for some peace and quiet before braving the throngs again. Though, that was back when she was still fairly new to the scene. That night, Mako stole the hearts of everyone in the room. Everyone wanted to talk to him, and since Ashley was his translator for the night, Ashley wasn't allowed to enjoy herself so much as she might have otherwise gotten to. Instead, she was working.

Toward her breaking point, she tried to slip away three different times, and each time another patron would approach Mako and strike up a conversation. Ashley would internally groan, and plaster on a fake smile, providing much-needed translation. After six-months in her English class, Mako understood some of what people said, but he was lacking in the ability to carry on a conversation besides the basics. Was this really what her life would be like if she took Laurie up on the job? Hopefully not, but there was no time to really contemplate that idea, because the patron Mako was speaking to decided to go get another wine refill and Mako grabbed at her arm, hauling her away from the people.

"Go get some air," he whispered so they wouldn't be caught and get interrupted again. "I'll go to the bathroom and take a break too."

He looked like he needed a break, honestly, though it was obvious he was loving the attention.

"Thank you!" Ashley nearly squealed and slipped away, cutting in between patrons and smiling politely with a quiet, "hello," any time someone spotted her. She nearly burst onto the balcony, the cool autumn air hitting her in the face. It was literally a breath of fresh air after an hour and a half of talking with dozens of well-dressed patrons all packed together in one room. A piano player played a light tune somewhere in the room, and the bartenders worked furiously. It was a nice party, she'd admit if she wasn't having to work. Though she didn't mind it quite so much; it forced others not to drag her into conversations she didn't much care to have. She should have, she knew: if she talked to the right people, she could easily find a job as a musician. The people in that room had money to spare, and she wanted a job as a musician, but with everything else going on and her own job offer to contemplate, she really just wanted a quiet evening.

Hiei had traveled the short distance with her to the hotel that the dinner was being held at, but had slipped away after they arrived and after he had realized what came after the performance. He had lasted all of five minutes before Sophia had grabbed him and told him to relax – that nothing was going to happen to Ashley in London, so he might as well join the family for dinner. And with Daniel joining the family, he couldn't claim a language barrier as an excuse. Ashley was happy he was getting to spend time with her family, though she wished she could have joined them, too.

The hotel rose far above the rest of the city, and benches dotted the large balcony that overlooked the city. Ashley wandered over toward a bench, gazing up at the sky. Most of the chatter had fallen quiet about Demon World being visible in the sky, but to her, and other psychics out there, Demon World was still visible and like a second, larger moon. It was beautiful, really, and it added an almost magical quality to the landscape with a thousand twinkling lights below the balcony.

Before Ashley reached the railing, a voice behind her caught her attention.

"Ashley Lynn." A brown-skinned woman parted her way through the crowd and followed Ashley out onto the balcony. She stood over six feet tall in her heels, but was as graceful and lithe as water. She wore a platinum dress that fit her body perfectly and cascaded to the floor. As she moved, it created illusions, changing ever so slightly from platinum to the lightest shade of blue, almost like a trick of the eye. The dress could easily be taken as provocative, but the way she wore it, as if she was royalty; it complimented her. She was heartbreakingly beautiful, with lilac eyes and silver hair that was pulled away from her face into a braid that laid over one shoulder, but above all, she looked _familiar_. Like Ashley had seen her once in a dream.

Mouth gaping like a fish for air, Ashley tried to find her words, Japanese coming up first before she realized the woman before her spoke perfect English. Her ears were long and tipped at the ends, like an elf's might be from fantasy mythology.

"Your accent is perfect," Ashley said in awe, the desire to spend a few minutes alone gone and replaced with wonder over her new company. "How did you get to be so good?"

The woman chuckled, and replied smoothly, "Oh, why thank you." Glancing at Ashley from beneath silver lashes, she finished, "I practice."

The air around her shimmered slightly, as if she was not quite there, or as if she was holding back her power. As Ashley tried to reach out to feel if she had any, what she was met with was a force so great it nearly stole the breath from her lungs.

"You're a demon."

She nodded. "I am." With Ashley's look of confusion, the woman led the two of them to the balcony's railing overlooking London. "But I find Earth's people and cultures to be fascinating. It's beautiful, really."

She leaned against the railing, taking it all in as Ashley hung back, wondering over the enigma that was this demoness. "You seem familiar," she finally told her, her words soft. She could barely hear them herself, but the woman heard them perfectly as she turned back to face Ashley.

"My name is Navia," she replied easily, "And I have had my eye on you for some time."

Her silver hair caught the light from the party just a few dozen paces away, and that's when it clicked in Ashley's mind where she'd seen the woman before. "You were at the piano bar," as she spoke, a small smile grew on Navia's lips. "That night that Hiei took me there. You were in a booth drinking a martini." The memory came back in a rush. A lone woman with silver hair wearing a fine dress sipping on something, whose eye she caught as they walked to the bar to order sake for themselves.

"Like I said," Navia replied, "I've had my eye on you for a long time. You played before, did you not? Back when you were a young adult? You played very well."

A blush crept along Ashley's cheeks, the heat causing her to only flush further. "Thank you for your kind words."

"And thank you for your kindness, today," Navia replied quickly, her gaze intense as she tried to impress upon Ashley her sincerity. "I thank all the performers. Not many people care about demons, much less will make a statement to the world that they do. Thank you for taking a stand."

"I don't require thanks; I would hope anyone would do it," she replied simply as Navia turned to look back over the city.

The older woman didn't reply right away. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" the woman asked softly. Ashley came to stand next to her, the railing cold against her hands. "The city, as it comes alive for night. But, everything must come to an end, don't you agree?"

"Well, if we're talking about science or history, yes." She paused. "Nothing really ever comes to an end though, does it? Merely changes form?"

Navia smiled, like she had a secret. "You are correct," she admitted. "I am glad I found you," she spoke, the words carefully chosen and earnest. Navia turned and took Ashley's hands in hers, her touch warm and comforting like a mother's. The demoness looked at their hands entwined together, as if she was contemplating something. She glanced back up at the young woman in front of her, as if nervous or hesitant. "I hope you continue to develop your power. I know you will be great."

Not for the first time in Navia's presence, Ashley was lost for words. How did she know? Ashley had been taking care to hide her energy while she was in London. Ever since she arrived and Elroy and the Guardian had scanned her. Ashley checked herself, but no, her power was still hidden in the way Genkai had taught her. But before she could reply, the demoness continued, "Take care, and I hope to see you again soon." With a gentle squeeze, she released Ashley's hands once more and walked away. Before she got even ten paces away she disappeared completely in a similar way that Hiei often did.

* * *

Upon going back inside, after taking a few extra minutes on the balcony, Ashley got herself a glass of wine and found Mako to continue acting as interpreter. If she was going to spend the next two hours or more forcibly talking to people and translating, she needed to get something out of it at least. It was a particular type of torture. One glass turned into two, which later turned into three.

The party lasted well into the night, and by the time Mako and Ashley made it home, Ashley had pulled off her heels which dangled from her fingertips, and she was barely able to walk in a straight line.

"What in the three worlds?" Hiei exclaimed as Mako and Ashley entered the foyer and shut the door behind them, giggling like schoolchildren all the while.

Ashley heard him as Mako locked the door, and turned in time to see Hiei approaching them. "I have _missed_ you!" She threw herself into Hiei's arms and stumbled, tripping over her dress. "I am ready for you to rip this bloody dress off me!"

Mako caught the look that Hiei threw him over Ashley's shoulder as Hiei dodged Ashley trying to kiss him. "She's just drunk."

"Obviously."

"Where's everyone else?" Mako asked, looking up the stairs toward the second story.

"In bed," Hiei replied. "It's nearly midnight."

"Oh," Mako said as Hiei pulled Ashley after him toward the stairs. "Well, good night."

Stairs were a dangerous obstacle as Ashley tripped and then burst into giggles so hard that she nearly fell to her knees.

"Ashley," Hiei said softly, and she covered her giggles with a hand, trying to mask them. "I take it you had a good time at least?"

"I had a fantastic time!" she announced, a little too loudly, which earned her a _shush_ from Mako who had come up behind them on the stairs. "Mako and I talked to so many _boring_ people and I met a fan!" Her voice rose an octave, which made her dissolve into giggles again at the hilarity of how it sounded.

Hiei looked back to Mako. "She helped translate for me, but I think it was mostly boring for her. Nothing too out of the ordinary."

"A fan, though? What kind of fan?"

Mako heaved a sigh. He had likely been dreaming of collapsing into bed, but Hiei blocked the way up the stairs. Or, rather, Ashley blocked the way as she sprawled across the stairs, and Hiei stood in front of her so she didn't accidentally take a tumble down. However, Mako seemed to resign himself to his fate. "She told me it was a demoness who thanked her for making a public stand and has enjoyed her music for awhile."

That caught his attention. "In the last few years or last few months?"

"Last few years, I believe." Mako was watching Ashley, trying not to laugh. She was rather ridiculous when drunk.

Hiei didn't notice. "Doesn't sound like the Legion…"

"That's what I think, too," Mako replied, his attention shifting back to Hiei. "Sounds innocent enough, at least. And I didn't sense any ill will or malicious intent from anyone there."

Hiei nodded once in agreement. "I was scanning for Dion all night, but never found a trace of her."

"Maybe we should just take it for the small blessing that it is?" Hiei nodded just as Ashley leaned against his legs. Hiei turned back to her. Rather than try to help her up the stairs, he picked her up bridal-style, and carried her the rest of the way. By the time he laid her down in bed, however, she was asleep.

* * *

The sun was blinding through the curtains, and as Ashley's eyes fluttered open, she was immediately aware of a pounding headache.

Groaning, she turned over, coming face to face with a shirtless Hiei. "Good morning," he murmured and took her hand in his. Gently smiling through the pain, she returned the sentiment, and noticed her dress was missing.

"So, did you rip my dress off of me and make sweet, sweet love to me?" She asked, playful.

He appraised her, eyes gentle. "If you don't remember, that should tell you that I didn't."

"But my dress is gone?"

"I'm allowed to undress you, but I would never touch you when you were as drunk as you were last night. It would be undignified."

Ashley rose, leaning over him and kissed him once, briefly. "Thank you," she said, and kissed him again. She pulled away to stand up, but Hiei quickly rose, gently pulling her head back to him to kiss her again.

A soft moan slipped from her throat as she nearly melted into his arms. His pectorals were strong beneath her hand, and it took everything in her to pull away. "Hiei," he didn't pause, killing her again. This time she pulled away firmly. "Hiei, I need an aspirin. I'll be no use to you if I can't move."

"Stay. I'll get it." He kissed her again, and rose as she fell back onto the bed and covered her face with the blankets, trying to protect herself from the sun. She could hear him in her bathroom, looking at bottles and rattling pills, likely searching for one that looked like the aspirin she had in her medicine cabinet back in Tokyo.

Running water reached her ears for a brief moment before it shut off again, and before another heartbeat, he was back at her bedside. She took the pill and water gratefully, downing the entire thing before handing it back to Hiei.

"Sophia came by earlier. She wants to hang out with you today."

"And I want to hang out with her, too," Ashley replied. "I haven't seen her since April. It would be a shame not to get to see her at least once while I'm here. Well, apart from the airport and dress shopping." Hiei lifted the blankets and slid back into bed. Once he was in, Ashley scooted closer to him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tugging her close. "I have an idea," she began slowly.

"Hm? What's that?"

"I'm thinking I'll bring that dress back with us when we leave tomorrow and you can rip it off of me when we're not in a house with my parents down the hall."

Hiei tried not to smile. "And when you're sober," he added.

Ashley nodded against his chest, drawing circles on his skin with her forefinger, which made gooseflesh rise.

For several minutes, they laid in her bed, breathing together and holding each other.

"Hiei?" Ashley broke the silence.

He grunted in reply. She moved her head to glance up at his face. His eyes were shut, but he was still clearly awake. Likely just enjoying the moment and her touch.

She settled back against him, and as she tried to find the words, her finger stopped drawing the circles. He shifted, and she glanced up at him again to find his scarlet eyes watching her. "What is it?"

Ashley lifted herself up, bracing herself on her elbows as she turned over onto her stomach to look at him better. "Laurie offered me a position. Here. For after Japan."

He shifted himself, to look at her better. "To play?"

She nodded. "It'd be as the College's symphony pianist."

He didn't pause, "You should take it."

Well, she wasn't expecting his absolute support so easily. "What about us?"

"I can visit you; that would be no issue. I've done it before, you know." She did. He'd told her about Nobuyuki's memories.

"And what about the others? Yukina? Kuwabara? Genkai? I'd miss them."

"Bjorn can always open a portal for you. Much better than traveling those sixteen hours in that ridiculous metal tube."

She snorted in laughter, which quirked the corners of his mouth upward. He turned so that his head rested on his hand and he could trace his fingers down her back with his other hand. Gently, he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

She watched him watching her. The angles of his face softened, his gaze gentle. His hair was messed from sleep and sticking up at every angle. How did she get so lucky? In two timelines, they had found each other.

"So… you support this?" She asked as her own skin prickled with gooseflesh after his touch. A low heat filled her belly.

"I do. You told me once that this was your dream, didn't you? You should do it."

* * *

Mako left for his second interview sometime around lunchtime. Before that, it was a lazy Saturday morning with Hiei, lounging in Ashley's bed for some quiet time together and making love. Sophia had to go and run a few errands, but by the time Mako headed out the door, she passed him on her way in.

"Ashley?" She called through the house. "Are you amongst the living?"

Her heels clacked through the house, the marble floors echoing.

"I'm awake, thank you!" Ashley called back, leading Sophia with her voice to the kitchen. Ashley sat at a barstool with a piece of buttered toast in front of her, half eaten. Sophia entered the kitchen in time to see Ashley's hand against Hiei's cheek and Hiei leaning over the counter, as if they had just been caught in a kiss.

"You ready to go?"

"Go?" Ashley replied as Hiei straightened. "I thought we didn't have plans." She took a bite of toast.

"I made us a reservation!"

"Reservation for what?"

Sophia stayed by the door, not even bothering to remove her large sunglasses. Her hair was curled again, and she wore a bright red lip color, which popped against the casual jeans and blouse she wore. She could have been a model.

"Pop Up Painting!" She exclaimed, excitement rolling off her in waves. Pop Up Painting was something she, Sophia, and Oliver had always tried to do together whenever Ashley was home from uni. Oliver and Sophia had always been art-inclined, and as a child Ashley had always wanted to join them whenever they were doing something creative. As they had gotten older, it had turned into Pop Up Painting events.

How many stories did they have together at those events? As much as she was excited, a part of her still felt sadness. Oliver would be missing, most likely, but still - it would still be a good chance to spend some time with Sophia.

Ashley shoved the last bit of toast into her mouth and washed it down with the remaining water in her glass. While she finished, Sophia turned to Hiei. "What do you have planned for today?"

He turned, leaning against the counter to face her. "I'll be around London, keeping an eye on things."

"You mean on me," Ashley replied, coming up next to him and slipping and arm around his waist as he bent down to steal a kiss from her again.

"I won't let anything happen to her, Hiei. You can trust me," Sophia said from the doorway.

"It's not you I don't trust."

* * *

The day was marvelous! Rather than drinking at the painting party as most of the other patrons did, Sophia and Ashley picked up some Irn Bru, but they still had a good time, Ashley somehow getting orange paint on her cheek that neither she nor Sophia noticed until long after it had dried. She'd have to get some soap and water after it once they got home. After painting an autumn landscape, they took their paintings and walked over to the market, which was just wrapping up for the day. Sophia had plans to cook that evening since it was Ashley, Mako, and Hiei's last day there. Ashley held her and Sophia's paintings, following Sophia around as she got what she needed, while keeping an eye on the Guardians that watched over the market. These men and women didn't have rifles like the Guardians at Heathrow had carried, but they still wore their black fatigues, bullet proof vests, and weapons belt.

She mentally notated everywhere one of them stood, and where they walked, but she tried not to react or attract unwanted attention.

"Laurie offered me a job," Ashley said, breaking the silence as Sophia smelled a tomato.

Sophia froze, turning slightly to watch Ashley. "…But you already knew that, didn't you?"

She middle daughter shrugged and turned back to the vendor. "I'll take two tomatoes, please." In a louder voice she replied to Ashley. "I did. I was wondering if you were going to bring it up to me."

"What do you think I should do?" Sophia exchanged the money and accepted the tomatoes, placing them in her burlap bag that she'd brought with them.

"The fact that you're asking me speaks volumes," Sophia replied, beginning to walk to the next vendor.

Ashley hurried to catch up. "Hey! I ask you about stuff."

"Not this," Sophia replied, shaking her head, and slowed her walk. "Not music," she replied again, turning and stopping. The sun was getting low overhead and stretching shadows. "Why are you hesitating?"

Sophia still wore her sunglasses, but she cocked her head slightly, and Ashley knew she was watching her. She squirmed. "I just… I don't want to be the same person I was five years ago, you know? I'm different now. Or at least, I feel like I am."

Sophia didn't say a word for a moment. "Have you thought about applying elsewhere?"

That surprised her, but she could already tell where her sister was headed. "No? Laurie was the one who gave me the idea."

"Why don't you?" Before Ashley could reply, Sophia continued. "If you don't have to let Laurie know right away, maybe reach out to your other contacts and see if anyone else is hiring. You _did_ just play two pieces on television. Perhaps someone is interested in hiring you?"

"You know everything that's spoken aloud, don't you?" Ashley wondered if Sophia was hinting at something more. "Did someone say something?"

Sophia, however, caught on quickly and smiled. "No. No one's said anything." Her smile turned teasing. "At least nothing _definitive_."

"Can you tell me who?" Ashley asked, drawing out the word. If she could figure out who it was, she could apply directly -

"I'm not going to give you hints!" Sophia interrupted Ashley's mental planning. "If you want this, you need to take initiative yourself!"

Ashley pursed her lips in irritation and teasingly glared. But Sophia just winked and turned away, walking toward the zucchini. "So how does all that work, anyway?" Ashley began, changing the subject as she followed her sister. "Is it like it comes in all at once? Like an overlapping radio or something?"

Sophia picked up a zucchini and tested its firmness in her hands. "More like I have to focus on a specific person or group of people. Everything else is just background noise. Which is nice, especially since I've learned how to fine-tune it." Sophia trailed off, her hands growing slack around the zucchini and her red lips parting slightly.

"Sophia?" Ashley asked after a long moment and the vendor giving her sister a strange glance, eyebrow slowly rising in apprehensive question. If someone was talking and Sophia was intercepting, Ashley had to draw unwanted attention away from her. "Sophia?" She came up next to her, setting the paintings aside for a moment, and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, taking the zucchini and giving it back to the vendor. She immediately searched the area for Guardians, picking two out who happened to be patrolling not far from the zucchini man's table.

Ashley balanced the paintings on two fingers in one hand while the other led Sophia away, praying that moving someone who was intercepting messages didn't have the same consequences as moving someone during a seizure.

"Where's Hiei?" Sophia's voice came out quiet, and like a light switch flipping on, she came back to life, ducking her head down and picking up pace. "It's happening."

She quickly left Ashley behind, forcing her to try to catch up. "What's happening?"

"Find Hiei." Sophia's voice was firm, in complete opposition to her countenance just a few minutes prior. "Tell him to meet us back home."

* * *

The front doors slammed open. "What's going on?" Hiei's voice carried through the house like a general. He made his way through the house, back where he heard Sophia speaking, and her voice led him to the kitchen. Sophia sat at the bar stool where Ashley had sat that morning, Ashley standing across from her and leaning over a pad of paper that she scribbled furiously on.

Ashley whipped her head up toward him as he approached, pen stilled in her hand over the pad of paper as Sophia greeted him with, "The attacks. They've been decided."

"Hiei, what is this?" Ashley couldn't help but ask. Sophia had been muttering the entire walk back about how she should have known something big was coming. But it was bigger than what she thought. About how she should have given Hiei more time. How she should have known.

But known _what_?

"Ashley!" Sophia's sharp tone caught her attention again, striking out like her own electricity. "New York City," she said, continuing the list they had started just seconds before Hiei had burst through. "Sao Paulo. Seoul..."

Mako stood just to the side of them, arms crossed over his chest and his thumb tracing the line of his lips nervously. "They're targeting the largest cities," he muttered to himself. But Ashley heard him and even though she wrote every name that left Sophia's lips, dread filled her.

"Tokyo. Mumbai. Lagos-" Sophia continued, her eyes focused on something far away.

"That's too many to defend," Hiei observed. He had to prepare. Now. "What's coming?"

Sophia grew silent, still unfocused to the world around her. A warm purple glow began next to her, and Ashley spared a glance at Hiei. He'd activated the Jagan and was staring at Sophia intently, entering her mind and hearing what she heard. "Sophia?" Ashley asked, wondering if any other names would need to be added to the list.

She came back to the present like the force of a hurricane. "You need to get everyone out. _Now_." The Jagan flickered and the light faded in his surprise. Even Ashley felt that surge of power from her sister.

"How much time do I have?" Hiei asked, his tone serious.

"The first one will start before dawn," she replied. "They're not saying an exact time. They'll likely decide last-minute."

"If they know about you, Sophia, then they're probably working around your ability." Mako said quietly, stilling everyone in the room with the horror that knowledge brought.

Hiei was the first to regain composure and turned away to walk out of the kitchen. Phone in hand, he dialed a number as he cursed under his breath. Ashley followed him out of the kitchen, hovering next to him. On the other end of the line, Ashley heard someone yawn. "Hiei?" Bjorn asked, drunk from sleep. "Wha' on' earf time is eh'?"

"Bjorn," Hiei didn't pause, but spared a glance down at Ashley. "I need a portal, now."

"Alri', alri'. Let me put on pants. Hold 'an."

"Hiei?!" Sophia shouted from the kitchen, catching Ashley and Hiei's attention and forcing the demon's head to whip up. They both raced back over the threshold of the kitchen.

A large demon had entered through a different portal next to the kitchen table. He had light blue and white markings across his body, his head rounded and eyes slanted. A shark demon. Or, his body would have had light blue and white markings, except he was covered in blood, either his own or another's it was impossible to tell. Sophia, as unaccustomed to demons as she was, barely looked alarmed.

"Nori," Hiei said, more in alarm than a greeting.

Nori didn't pause for formalities or introductions. "Lord Koichi and Hana sent me, Jaganashi. We're under attack."

The color drained from Hiei's face as he spat, "What!"

"The Legion," Nori replied breathlessly. "They are attacking us."

"Where?"

"The Terasu Forest-"

As soon as Nori said the words, Hiei rounded on Sophia, eyes flaming and heat rolling off his body as his energy rose. " _I thought you said the Legion had no idea about us?_ "

"They didn't!" She focused on something, her eyes losing focus from Hiei. "They do now, though. Someone tipped them off." Hiei roared in anger. "I'm sorry! I wasn't focusing on them!"

"So then who's leading the attacks? Those are _cities_! Millions will die."

"Does it matter?" Sophia rebuked. "People will die. Demons will die."

"Maybe the Legion is splitting off into two?" Mako wondered, but it was a moot point.

Hiei was shaking his head, a wall like Ashley had never seen before rising up around him as the gears turning in his mind. It was like his countenance changed. Like he was a completely different person than he had been that morning. Battle-tested. A warrior, but also something dangerous about him. "There's not enough time to figure it out now." He growled, stalking out of the kitchen.

"Hiei," Ashley caught up next to him, catching his hand as he stalked away. "What can I do?"

He was obviously fighting with himself. "I need you to call Kurama," he ground out. "Tell him Hana is under attack and needs assistance. We promised her soldiers, so we'll give her soldiers."

"And you?"

"I need to get everyone else out from Tokyo." The reality of what he said hit her with enough force to knock her to her knees, but she remained standing. She couldn't lose it now. Not when Hiei was about to face this alone.

Surely there was something else she could do. She didn't know what they were about to face, but she _had_ to help. "But Hiei-"

"Trust me." His gaze bore into hers, eyes smoldering with all the force of a firestorm. Carefully, he softened his tone. "Please?" Ashley nodded, and reached up to kiss him. He kissed her back, hard, pulling her to him as if she was his last breath. Ashley kissed him, but also desperately tried to memorize his body against hers, but all too soon he pulled away as the whirling scream of another portal opened up. Bjorn's. "I'll send you men, Nori," Hiei called to the demon in the other room. "They will meet you at the forest."

Hiei met Ashley's gaze once more, keeping his eyes on her until he was swallowed by the portal and it closed behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Ashley was pulling out her cell phone and unlocking her phone. Hands shaking, she accidentally called the wrong person before Kurama's number was dialing.

"Ashley?" Even for it being early as fuck in Tokyo, Kurama answered with all the charm he ever had.

"The Terasu Forest is under attack," Ashley said, the words tumbling out in a rush. "Hiei is headed back to Genkai's, but that's because there's another attack on Tokyo coming. He told me to call you to send support to Hana."

Kurama took it all in quietly. When she was finished with the rushed explanation, his tone had grown more serious, taking leadership. "And you're sure?" Ashley nodded before she realized Kurama wasn't in the room with her. She replied in the affirmative. "Then stay where you are. We'll take care of this."

The line clicked dead, and Ashley turned back to the kitchen, feet guiding her back to Sophia and Mako. She half expected Nori to still be there as well, but he had also disappeared.

Numbness spread through her body. Anxiety. Panic. Helplessness. They were meant to have another week. They should have had another week. But the house was suddenly empty, and silence reigned loud.

It was still dark when her mum came to wake her, shaking her awake with such fervor that the bed shook. She'd only been asleep for a few hours, finally having succumbed to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. She and Mako were supposed to leave for Tokyo by 9 am. Of course, she wasn't sure what she would find when she woke, but sleep had won the final battle, and she'd been able to get a few precious hours of it.

"Mum?" Ashley questioned, groggily, but woke quickly upon focusing on her mother's expression. Horror, panic, devastation was written across her face, her hands shaking with adrenaline. "What? What time is it?"

"Get up," she said quickly, "and come with me." Glancing at the clock as she pushed away the quilt, Ashley could see that it was barely 4 in the morning.

Pulling on her robe as she tried to keep up with her mother, Ashley quickly padded down the hallway and down the stairs to the living room. Her dad was already there with the tv on, but something was off. Normally when they were in the living room, he was sitting in his favorite leather armchair, legs crossed. He was not sitting. He was standing, arms crossed, eyes wide and swimming behind his glasses.

Sophia was already there as well, Daniel embracing her from behind as she sobbed hot, ugly tears, her face red.

The tv switched from the devastated news anchor trying to hold back her own raw emotion to the footage they had.

Ashley's blood ran cold and her stomach dropped through the floor, the world narrowing in on that one moment. Sound disappeared from the room and all that was left were the images on the screen.

On the tv, the footage flipped between cities, the only way to tell which was by the caption labeling each.

New York City.

Sao Paulo.

Seoul.

Manila.

Mumbai.

All the cities that Sophia had had her write the night prior. Nothing existed of them anymore. The cities where the sun had risen for the day showed all of them were leveled to the ground, for as far as the camera could see. It reminded her of the old footage of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bombs.

Where the sun had yet to rise, all the lights had been snuffed out; darkness reigned like it did before electricity. Some fires had caught on what was left, but no one was left to put the fires out. No one ran to the rescue. The cities were just … gone.

Mexico City.

Lagos.

Moscow.

Istanbul.

And Tokyo.

 _ **\- End of Chapter Thirty-Four -**_

* * *

 **\- End of Part I -**


	35. A New Day

**\- Part II -**

 _ **On Loving a Human**_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Five

 _A New Day_

" _Hiei?" Ashley called._

 _Around her, lightning illuminated the clouds. Flashes of light every once in awhile, but otherwise dark. The area around her was rocky, and she realized she was kneeling._ _"Hiei?" She called again._

 _Ashley knew he was just beyond where she could see, but the fog was too thick to see very far at all. It clug to her skin, and made her hair stick to the back of her neck and face, but she reached up to swipe it away. Her fingers came away red. Blood. Hers? Or someone else's?_

 _She rose, slowly. The lightning continued to flash, and she could feel a great power just beyond the mist go out._

" _Hiei!" the shout ripped from her lungs, piercing the air -_

* * *

Ashley woke with a start, and was immediately aware of the person standing over her. She flinched away, awareness flooding back to her.

"Ashley?" the woman asked, eyes worried. A moment later, she realized it was only Sophia. Relaxing, she whispered, hand going to her heart. "You nearly gave me a fright."

Her older sister stepped back, unsure, worry and stress and sleepless nights eating away at her. "Sorry," she murmured, unable to hold Ashley's gaze. "You'd asked me to wake you. It's morning."

Nodding, Ashley swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Have you slept?"

Sophia was already shaking her head. "They're too loud."

Ashley nodded again in understanding, even though she'd never experienced it herself. The constant flow of knowledge had to be overwhelming, especially during a crisis like the one they found themselves in.

Three days. It had been three days since the Fourteen Gone - the fourteen cities that had marked the beginning of the attacks. The Internet had deemed the nickname before the power grids had been destroyed, and then the satellites fell from the sky like metal asteroids. Communication and electricity disappeared in the same day, barely six hours after the attacks.

Oblivions, at S-class level. The power of a nuke at the hands of each demon. And the attacks were simultaneous. Ten S-class Oblivions obliviated ten of the most populous cities on Earth first. New York City, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Mexico City, Manila, Mumbai, Lagos, Moscow, Istanbul, Tokyo. In the first thirty minutes that Ashley had been watching the news with her family, another four cities met the same fate, before the humans could scramble to predict where the demons would hit next. Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Paris, and Chicago were also reduced to ash. By sunrise, nearly 225 million souls had ceased to exit.

The tsunamis came next.

With the fourteen of the most populous cities down, their next target was to flood the most populous coastal regions. Tsunamis, created by powerful elemental demons, wiped out islands and peninsulas, causing widespread panic and destruction. The west coast of Portugal, Spain, France was gone, as was the southwest coast of Wales and Ireland. Nearly all of South America's coast was decimated, as well all of North America's east coast. Africa, Australia, Asia, and India. The Northern and Eastern coasts of Europe, Canada, Alaska and Russia remained untouched. News anchors were coming up with theories by lunchtime.

But with the coasts destroyed, ships reduced to bent steel, ports washed away, the death toll became insurmountable. Millions upon millions dead, all in a single day.

The stock markets crashed, and panic ruled.

And then the power was cut, plunging anyone left alive into darkness and silence.

"They wanted us to know," her father had said by candlelight that first night. Dinner had been sandwiches, to use up the supplies in the refrigerator. The power wasn't coming back on anytime soon, said the Internet before that, too, fell. "They wanted us to know, and they wanted us to scramble, before showing that they were in charge and we are at their mercy."

 _Their_. As if anyone knew who had orchestrated the attacks. The Legion was silent, but before the tvs and news channels were cut, it was all but decided. It was the demons, after all, who had destroyed the Fourteen. The Legion was almost certainly behind it.

Ashley's phone had taken on a full charge the night prior after Hiei had left for Tokyo, and before the city was destroyed, and she had left it plugged in as she raced downstairs to find the world imploding. Before communication and electricity fell, though, she'd gotten hold of Yukina. The girl told Ashley in the briefest of texts that they were alive and at the Cappadocia base, before the signal was lost. With the satellites fallen and the Internet gone, Ashley's cellphone was nothing more than a brick of metal and wires and glass. A glorified flashlight at best. But at least they were alive. And Ashley let out the stress she'd been holding, praying that Hiei had been spared, too. Even if she couldn't talk to him, at least she knew he was safe.

The following morning, British officials came for Mako, and no pleading or discussion swayed their hand from dragging him away, to whatever governmental facility they were using to house demons. Demons and known psychics. Even demons who had obtained citizenship were taken away. The demon couple who lived down the street had been taken, leaving their front door open and their cat waiting for them on the stoop. Anyone that could be deemed "dangerous" or with powers, was taken away.

Ashley recognized that she could probably power their home, but if anyone were to find out what she was doing, they would have dragged her away, too. Not for the first time, she was protected from the backlash because she looked like a "normal" girl: blonde hair, storm-grey eyes, and no wings, horns, or different-colored skin made her stand out as other. And Genkai had taught her how to properly hide her energy. Not for the first time, she was grateful.

Time had nearly ceased. The digital world was dark. The only electricity that remained were battery-powered, and those would only last so long. Sophia and Ashley had made a run to the store the night prior. Canned soups were nearly picked clean, but there were plenty of fruit and veggies. They grabbed what they could as well as several self-filtering water bottles and a case of water, their father reminding them of the survival lessons he once ingrained in them. Enough days without electricity and the water supply in their homes would stop pumping clean water. They left as soon as they had found the iodine tablets as well, barely avoiding a brawl that was breaking out in the batteries aisle.

The attitude that had come with the second world war had dissolved. Keeping calm was difficult, if not nigh impossible.

Which was why she needed to call in a favor.

"Dad?" Ashley asked Sophia, who had crossed the room to the closet and was throwing clothing at Ashley. Jeans, a t-shirt, and sweatshirt.

"He's left for the office, to try to keep the employees calm. Doubt anyone would leave their families right now, though."

"I told him to wait for me," Ashley groused.

"Be quick about your errand," Sophia either ignored her or didn't hear. Not that Ashley's comment was aimed at anyone in particular. "I'd really rather you didn't go at all."

"If anyone can help it's Eckhart," Ashley said, pulling off her pajama pants and pulling up the jeans. Screw dressing nicely. Their first cold-snap had descended right after the Fourteen, and with no electricity for heat, she wouldn't get warm once she reached her destination. "He owes me. I played for him at that dinner back in Tokyo."

Sophia shrugged, her arms crossed and watching her sister pull on the t-shirt. "Still, it doesn't mean he'll honor it. Not now."

"I can't see why he wouldn't. A favor is a favor."

* * *

It was a relatively long walk to Wright United. Ashley could have traveled by car, but most of the streets were filled with emergency vehicles. If not, they were filled with cars and buses of people trying to leave. London was one of the most populated cities, and it was by luck alone that they hadn't already been attacked.

Of course, Ashley recognized that if it was the Legion who had staged the attacks - who else would it be? Who else had that much power to put on display? - it was probably her presence alone that had stopped the attacks from reaching London. The Legion had been trying to get to her for the last six months, so they likely wanted her alive for whatever reason. What didn't make sense, though, was why when she was suddenly defenseless, the Legion was nowhere to be found?

She couldn't dwell on it; it would make her insane. She focused on the city around her.

While half the city fell into chaos, the other half continued on normally. Mostly the older generations who had grown up with stories from their parents about the Blitz. They still checked the mail, even if there was nothing there, still trimmed their rosebushes, still headed out to work, even if they walked.

Some businesses continued as normal, or as normal as they could manage. Hopefully what they experienced wouldn't become the new normal, but just three days in, and Londoners were adapting. The rest of the world, she didn't know. Humans, though, could adapt to anything.

It took nearly an hour to reach her father's company. The one Oliver should have inherited. The one everyone thought she could excel in.

The glass skyscraper loomed above her into the sky, but she didn't pause to wonder at it. Her goal was the tenth floor, and the lifts were out. Ashley had to stop a few times in the stairwell to catch her breath, but eventually she reached her destination.

Down the hallway, fifth door on the right. Though, all the offices and walls and doors were glass, so she saw her target as soon as she turned the corner.

Eckhart sat at his desk, writing something in his notebook. Computer was dead, as well as the lights, so the only light available came from the cloudy day beyond his window.

She didn't knock, but rather went on in. What was he going to do? Call security on the phones that didn't work?

He looked up as soon as she entered. "Ashley," he said, stunned. His pen faltered above the page. Close up, he was disheveled, his hair sticking up and his shirt rumpled. Bags hung below his eyes. If she hadn't grown up knowing him she wouldn't have recognized him. He had always been well put-together. Except at the end of the world, that is. "What are you-?"

"I'm calling in that favor you owe me."

He stayed quiet, but not out of confusion. He capped his pen. "Your timing is terrible."

Ashley shoved her hands into her pockets, immensely uncomfortable, but at least there were windows everywhere. And the rest of the floor wasn't as deserted as she would have thought. "What better time to call it in?" She didn't wait for him to ask what it was, but rather barreled on through. "My friend has been taken by the government. I want you to get him out."

She'd already asked her father, who had tried and failed. Once the cell towers went down, there was little that could be done. Her father owned Wright United but Eckhart had the connections. If anyone could do it, it was him.

"I… I can't."

"You promised me a favor," she pressed.

"I recognize that; I did," he finally stood, fingertips grazing the table. "I've lost everything though."

"I don't care about you," it slipped out before she could stop it. She crossed her arms, but Eckhart did not bat an eye. "I just want Mako back."

"If I was the man I was three days ago, I would happily do everything in my power, but you have to understand: my name means very little these days and I have lost all my assets. It's all gone," he said again, like he couldn't believe it himself. He trailed off, and removed his glasses slowly, tossing them lightly to his desk. Ashley barely noticed. She'd been so sure Eckhart was the answer. It had been a miracle she had even remembered the favor. What was she going to do? She couldn't just leave Mako - "I can do this though," Eckhart interrupted her thoughts, "is he human or demon?"

His words brought her attention back to him, but she hesitated. Would telling him bring harm to Mako?

Eckhart seemed to read her mind. "I'm not asking to know, but depending on which it is will say where he's been taken."

"He's a demon," she replied.

He nodded, thinking. "He'd be taken to Clover and Russet then. They've converted a building there for the demons that don't post much of a threat."

"What if they think he would?" Ashley forced herself to ask. "Mako's an oblivion."

Eckhart sucked in a breath. "Then it would be at Lacey and Hill. An old warehouse has been converted until they can get something better."

Ashley nodded, committing it to memory. At least it wasn't across the city. "Anything else?"

Eckhart pinched the end of his nose; an anxious habit. "The guard changes shift every six hours, at midnight, six, noon, and six in the evening. They're on rotation for twelve hour shifts. Depending on his class will determine the wing he's in."

* * *

Well, it had been more information that she'd had going in. And Ashley didn't even want to know how he knew about the guard changes. As soon as he told her what she needed, she left. The way he had told her the information, though, had sounded like he was expecting her to break in and get him herself.

The world hadn't completely descended into madness; she couldn't just break him out. She didn't know exactly how she'd do it, but she'd figure it out. Maybe Sophia knew of something.

Ashley walked back home, shouldering past passerby, all trying to keep their heads down and not attract attention. Before, the crowds might have been on their cell phones or walking with earbuds in, but no longer. Guardians still stood at every street corner, clutching at their weapons and scanning the crowds for any suspicious activity. Or any demons.

Fighter jets roared across the sky, headed… somewhere. Of course the military would have found a way around the no communications and electricity issue. Maybe they hadn't been affected to begin with? Maybe it was just the citizens forced to live with this particular dark age.

Nearly halfway home was when she felt it: power building, and calling to her like a beacon. It was unfamiliar, but familiar at the same time, like a dream forgotten. Even without being near it, it was comforting and she knew it would be warm, like a bonfire on a cold night.

Ashley looked to the sky, but buildings blocked her view. Every instinct urged her to meet the energy with her own, but common sense ruled against it. Not under the Guardians' watch. Instead, Ashley picked up the pace, breaking into a jog and then a run as she felt the energy moving, leading her away from the clusterous city and toward a park. She shoved past people trying to reach it, her feet slamming against the pavement.

As soon as she turned around some bushes, he was there, waiting for her, and she ran into Hiei's arms, slamming herself into him. Relief poured out of her as she embraced him. He was the same. Exactly the same as she remembered, as he clung to her as well, hidden from the people passing by who would surely shout for a Guardian if they saw his eyes. Breathing him in, they stayed like that until Ashley pulled away and kissed him. He kissed her back, cradling her head in his hands.

When she finally came up for air, she didn't want to let go of him, but she had to look him over. Make sure it was really him.

His clothes were tattered, and he sported a few new wounds, but nothing too serious. "When I saw Tokyo gone, I thought-"

"I know," he replied, whisper hoarse, and nodded. Neither had to finish their sentence.

"I- I felt you - your energy, just now. What was that?"

He watched the people passing by, just feet from where they stood hidden. Just feet from danger. He looked like he would rather not pause to explain, but she watched him expectantly.

"We were bonded, before. In the first time line," he said. "So, if I power up, or if you power up, we can find each other. Our power is linked," he rushed through the explanation. "I don't have a lot of time. We need to go."

He tugged on her arm, trying to pull her away, but Ashley held her ground. "Go?"

Hiei turned back, eyes blazing. "I'm getting you out. We have a safe-house in Cappadocia."

Cappadocia. Where Yukina told her they were. Where Bjorn took her a lifetime ago. "Yeah, I know."

"Then you know," Hiei said, voice severe. "And you've seen what they've done. It's time to go."

He halfway turned, but Ashley stayed rooted to the spot. "Mako is still here. They've captured him, Hiei. Taken him to a warehouse at Lacey and Hill. They're rounding up all the demons and psychics."

"We can come back for him." She still paused. "You just said yourself - they're rounding up psychics, too. You're not safe here."

As much as she wanted to, as much as she wanted to escape the hellhole that had become her life and melt into him and let her lead him, she couldn't. "I can pass as "normal," and my family is still here, Hiei. I cannot leave them."

He finally started to turn back toward her. "So what are you saying? Are you coming or not?"

Ashley paused, hesitating. She reached for his hand, calloused and worn with years of fighting. Surely he would understand, but she couldn't just leave. Not when the world was crumbling around them and her family would remain behind. How could she just run off with her boyfriend? They needed her here, not to disappear. They would wonder forever whether she was killed or taken if she left now.

"I'm staying," she said, her voice breaking over the words.

But Hiei, Hiei was glowering. No sympathies left for her. "For all I've done to protect you… You choose _now_ to play the hero? And for what? To get yourself killed?" He hissed at her and glared at her like she was nothing more than fodder. "For some kind of twisted honor? Mukuro was right. You're nothing but a distraction."

She tried to step closer to him - surely he didn't mean his words. They were scathing and like flames licking at her heart, but he stepped away, ripping his hand from her grasp. "You've protected me so I can protect my family now. Besides, you said it yourself - we're linked, right? We can find each other again, easy."

"Only if you power up, Ashley," Hiei hissed, incredulation written over his face at the idea he even had to explain it to her. "And you just said yourself - psychics are enemies right now. You power up, and it'll be like a beacon to them."

"But what about your Jagan-?"

"Haven't you been listening to me this last week? The Jagan doesn't work in Europe, or here. There's too much of the humans' old magick. As long as you're here, you've betrayed me. It's obvious you don't love me like you said you did."

"Hiei, that's not it at all -!"

He didn't listen, just steamrolled over her. He had so long thought of her as his human bulldozer, but right then, _she_ would yield to _him_. "Love is just a convenient excuse for you to do whatever you want with a failsafe written over it. If you stay, your feelings are obvious for me."

She held her ground, even as tears swam in her eyes. So it was like that, then. If he wanted to try to use the feelings he knew she had for him to make her bend to his will, it wouldn't work. As much as she wanted to go with him, she couldn't leave her family.

Her silence was answer enough, and Hiei's face twisted into pain, anger, betrayal, and finally, an emotion that she wondered if she imagined - understanding - as he spared her a final glance.

"Try not to die," he spat, and disappeared, leaving her alone.

* * *

Ashley stayed in the foliage for what felt like hours after Hiei left, her heart still beating, but it might as well have been ripped from her chest. She was numb. Surely Hiei was just hurt. Surely he didn't mean everything he had just said. Surely he knew she loved him and didn't make her decision lightly.

Tears had refused to fall, but she wondered if they would. She felt like crying, like breaking down in that park and crying over his reaction, over his hurtful words, over the world, over the millions dead. But the tears never fell, and as the sun began to set, Ashley turned and walked on home. She was aware of the people around her and the Guardians' passing glances at her, but she was numb. People passed her like she was in a fog. Everything registered just a little slower than it should have.

But as she turned the final corner to her street, a commotion caught her attention down the street. Black SUVs parked in front of a house halfway down, their police lights flashing. Men in dark clothing and Kevlar vests moved about outside, moving suitcases into the cars. A flash of her father caught her attention, and Hiei was forgotten.

"Dad?" She shouted in confusion, and picked up pace. What was going on?

She jogged up to her house - the house with the SVUs parked outside, she realized - as a Guardian stepped out of nowhere and stopped her before she could get too close. Neighbors kept their distance, watching and whispering to each other.

"Ma'am, I'm going to ask that you step back." He was taller than she was, and young. Maybe just a few years younger than she was, but he spoke with full authority.

"No - I live here. What's going on?" She tried to step around him, but nearly stepped into the man that had come up behind the Guardian.

Blue suit fitted perfectly, Ashley recognized her brother long before she saw his face. "Ashley," Oliver said, the tightness of his jaw and hardness of his gaze sending off warning bells in her head. "You need to come with me."

* * *

"Ma'am," Haku ran up to Navia, back bent in a quick bow in his rush. "We've managed to capture him."

"And the others?" She asked, her tone light and stiff as she briskly walked through the hallways.

"We captured them, too. All of his followers, ma'am. We have them."

If betrayal didn't seep so far into her bones, she might have smiled. Finally. They'd captured the traitors. But while it was a good win for the day, a long road only stretched ahead.

She followed Haku, who led her to the Court of Traitors. So named for the legend-old traitors who had pledged themselves to the leader of the temple, only to break their oath. The current day's proceeding's were no different. She was not the first leader to take the high seat in the temple, but for the first time in three centuries, the walls were warm with fires in lit sconces.

Now, she entered the courtyard, standing on the dais on the side opposite the man she once called friend, advisor, general.

While she schooled her expression so that he would never know how deeply he had hurt her, his glare could have shattered mountains.

"NAVIA!" The man before her bellowed. His cry filled the courtyard, echoing over the witnesses. The very men and women he'd betrayed.

She ignored him. "Do you know why you're here, General Ryumon?" Keeping her tone passive was difficult, but remembering that his mutiny nearly cost her everything helped. "Why you're here at the Court of Traitors?"

He glowered at her, deciding this time, to remain silent. Energy restraints had been placed on his wrists and ankles, keeping his power at bay. He was one of her strongest warriors, after all. It wouldn't do well if he slaughtered everyone.

"You have conspired against me. You pledged me your loyalty, and instead mutinied behind my back. You led warriors to death under false knowledge you fed to them."

"I gave them no such knowledge."

" _Join or die_?!" she yelled, anger breaking free. "This is not the message I have spread since beginning this journey. That is not what we, as the Legion, stand for!

"You gave our recruits a choice - one they made out of fear, and thus turning the rest of Demon World against our progress.

"How could you look me in the eye and promise me you would help me lead my people into a new future, while spearheading an attack such as this? You gathered your followers and during the Battle of the Fools against the rebels, you turned against your brethren."

Ryumon's gaze finally faltered.

"LOOK AT THEM." Navia yelled, her voice strong with passion and filling the courtyard, washing over the warriors who had sworn themselves to her. "You rallied your followers to kill your brothers and sisters, all to get to me."

"You don't deserve to lead!" Ryumon finally shot back. Even though his hands were bound, he raised them to point at her. His gesture did nothing to intimidate her. He was powerful, yes, but she was more so. "You half-bastard!"

Navia swallowed, and lifted her chin higher. Her warriors who stood between her and Ryumon shifted, tensing.

"Thankfully for you, then," she whispered, deadly. A threat; a promise. "You won't be alive to see it."

The color drained from his face as the warriors tensed to strike. They would kill his followers, who were being kept in their own prison, which they knew. Ryumon's core, however, belonged to her.

"Even if you kill us, though," Ryumon had lost his bravado, stammering out his words. "That won't end things. Our other half will continue where we left off. You'll never have what you seek."

"Oh, you mean the human Guardians?" Navia finally pulled a coy smile out of her back pocket, wearing it just for Ryumon. She descended from the dais and made her way across the courtyard, her warriors parting for her as she moved. "True, they pledged themselves to us once, and deceived us into believing they were on our side, but, they made a vital mistake." Finally, she reached Ryumon, who stared at her, eyes wide. "Don't worry; you'll see your precious Razor on the other side."

Ryumon's eyes widened as he put together what Navia said, but before he could say another word, she shoved her hand - which she covered in her energy, creating a blade around her hand - into his center. Ryumon doubled over, clutching her own arm as she gripped his core and pulled it from his body. It pulsed once - twice - three times as she turned back to her warriors, before it finally faded to nothing and drifted away, like smoke on a breeze. Behind her, Ryumon dropped to the ground, cold.

"The rest are yours," Navia spoke to her warriors. The ones who kept their loyalty close to their hearts. "They tried to kill you to kill me." She paused. She could give a loud, bold speech, but that had never been her style. "Make them suffer," she all but whispered, instead.

Cheers rose up around her as they punched their fists in the air. Demons cried out for her, lifting her up. From the smallest warrior at only three feet, to the tallest at ten. They stood for her. They had fought for her. And she was the reason for Ryumon's betrayal. For them nearly being wiped out. But her forces had rallied, held the Spirit Detective's rebels at bay, and dealt with the newest threat.

As one, they marched out of the courtyard, on the way to deal with Ryumon's followers, leaving her facing the Court of Traitors alone. She'd known that someone was controlling the strings to those who strayed from her path. The ones who went out on recruitment missions and made the ' _join or die_ _'_ offer under the Legion's name, leaving out their original message: _Arise, and claim your freedom_. _One World, One Life, One Peace._

Ryumon would never know that Navia had lied, of course. That was her own secret to keep. But she had to make him believe that all hope was lost. That she would win despite his best efforts. And she would still, though, it was a longer journey ahead than what she had originally planned for.

The Guardians, for one, were still a threat, their own betrayal message having arrived by note that same morning, after Ryumon had been captured, finally - after being spied on and hunted down during the battle - and after the battle itself had concluded. Which, really, said more about the Guardian's state of mind than anything. It had sent a chill down her spine, that Razor had chosen to communicate via note than through his mind techniques.

" _Then - prepare yourself."_

He was coming for them - for all of them, she knew, as a chill settled in her belly - and they had to be ready.

"Navia?" a familiar voice caught her attention. Haku was still near the entrance of the courtyard, but an old friend had joined him there.

"Daisuke?" she asked, but was already walking toward him. Relief settled over her. "I'm so pleased you decided to come."

They embraced, though it was odd for the shorter demon. Navia towered over him by nearly two feet, but they made it work. For Navia, seeing Daisuke there, in the flesh, when Shono wasn't, nearly made tears spring to her eyes, but she held them at bay. This wasn't the time for emotions. She could cry when she was in the shower later, washing off the blood of the last three days. She had lost so much and gained it back.

"How was your journey? Are you hungry?" Navia asked as she motioned to him to follow her from the courtyard, leading the way back to the meeting room. The walls of the temple were stone. The entire compound had been carved directly from the Bleeding Mountains themselves. Sconces lit the hallways every few feet, but it was still like living in a tiny prison. No natural light reached them except in the few open-topped areas, like the Court of Traitors, and that was not the place to think on complicated thoughts.

"I am fine, thank you," the man said. He was dressed plainly, in long pants and a tattered long-sleeve tunic. Horns curved upwards from his temples, and dark, round glasses sat on his nose. Navy hair stuck every which way, windblown from running from so far. "Though, I haven't decided to join you yet." His words made her pause. "I have heard the nastiness being repeated across the lands. _Join or die_. That doesn't sound like you, but I had to know for myself. Why are you fighting?" They stopped just inside her meeting room, the long table and chairs stretching across the room. A fire roared in the hearth - someone had lit it, likely knowing this was the first place she would retreat to once she returned home from the battle and the aftermath. Maps were hung precariously over the walls like tattered wallpaper. She shut the door behind them after Daisuke stepped into the room. It was soundproof, and they wouldn't be bothered.

Her heart tried to sink at his words. So, even Shono's best friend had heard that ugliness, had he? It had stretched so far that he had started to believe this was what she had fallen to.

Dion had warned her that she should have taken out the traitors as they appeared, but Navia had wanted, instead, to lull them into a false sense of security. Keep them believing she knew nothing, until she could capture them all at once, including the head of the snake, so that he couldn't slither off and try again.

But in the meantime, her reputation had declined.

For a moment she wondered if it had been worth it, but as a door creaked open behind her, and she felt the familiar energy presence of her daughter, she knew it was. It absolutely was worth it. Anything to keep Sachiko safe.

"Momma, I had another nightmare," a little voice warmed her heart, even as it broke for her child.

"Shhh," Navia soothed her, crossing the room and bending down to her height and reaching for her. Sachiko went to her gratefully, and Navia scooped up her daughter and held her close.

"Daisuke," Navia began thoughtfully, turning back to her old friend. "Have you ever met Sachiko?"

She glanced back down to Daisuke, who watched Sachiko with awe as he crossed the room to her. He reached to brush a strand of silver hair away from the young girls' face. She could have been more than six or seven. "She looks just like him - minus the hair, of course. That's you."

A smile spread over Navia's face, heart clenching for the man she knew Daisuke was speaking of. "Nyoko, she... she's how I came to realize this was my destiny, but Sachiko is the reason _why_. She's the reason for all of this. So that she can live in a world she deserves." She paused to press her lips against Sachiko's forehead. The young girl snuggled in close to her mother's neck, wrapping her small arms around her, seeking comfort. "I want to tell you my story," Navia began, "if you have some time."

* * *

 **A/N: Happy two-year anniversary to Ashley! Two years ago today I posted the first chapter of On Dating a Demon, and it's only by chance that I got to post chapter 35 - also known as the first chapter of part 2 - today. I'm at home with a fever today, so thought I'd take advantage of it to finish the chapter and get it posted.**

 **Some things to note, the best picture I have of Oliver is Teddy Gestalt from the Rook on Starz. Look him up. Though, I picture Oliver being a little taller than Teddy. Also, if you've ever seen Aldnoah Zero when the nuclear missile destroyed New Orleans, that's the level of destruction I imagine the demons taking out the Fourteen. I'll post the link on my profile in case you'd like a reference. I thought I vaguely remembered Hiei or someone referring to Mukuro, who's upper S-class, as having the equivalent power of a nuke. Naturally, I started wondering about what kind of power an S-class oblivion, a demon who can create explosions, would have, and how they could use it against humans, and this is what I came up with.**

 **But hey, we're at On Loving a Human, FINALLY. I'm _so_ excited to be here, and I hope you are, too. Hiei doesn't handle rejection very well, does he? You would think he'd be better by now, but nope! He's still got some learning and growing to do. Also, Navia is one of my favorite characters, and not at all who you may think she is. If you don't already know, I like exploring perspectives in my writing. I hope all you readers out there stay with me through part 2, and ultimately, part 3.**

 **Thank you to Mediocre Dunces and JohnGreenGirl for your reviews on chapter 33, and OdinsReaper and JohnGreenGirl for your reviews on chapter 34.**

 **I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.**


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